Three-Way Bridge, Part 3: Check And Mate
by Madison E. Blackwood
Summary: Erasmus has to hide from the popularity chasing him now. On top of being the only living link between the Greek and Roman demigods, he's known worldwide for being the only person to go head-to-head with Gaea and surviving. Now he's captured by Setne... and fulfilling a prophecy he hasn't even heard! ((Pairings: Nico/OC, Carter/Zia at start, Percabeth at end))
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, everybody! Sorry for the total spam yesterday. ^^' Now I'm debuting the third-and final!-part of my fanfiction! I hope you've all enjoyed everything up to now, and I can't wait to see what you think of the final part! PLEASE REVIEW! If you enjoyed it, or saw something I could have fixed, or noticed something interesting, please, feel free to let me know! I LOVE critiques~

Title: **Three-Way Bridge, Part 3: Check... And Mate**

Universe: ****Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus / Kane Chronicles****

Main Characters: **Erasmus Porter (OC) / Nico di Angelo (canon)**

**Carter Kane (canon) / Khaemwaset 'Setne' (canon)**

Rating: **M for sexual content and language**

Summary: **Erasmus has to hide from the popularity chasing him now. On top of being the only living link between the Greek and Roman demigods, he's known worldwide for being the only person to go head-to-head with Gaea and surviving. Now he's captured by Setne... and fulfilling a prophecy he hasn't even heard!**

* * *

><p>It's eerie how things you didn't see connecting somehow do. Especially when all the pieces of the puzzle are right there in front of you. Of course, silly me; some of the pieces can be upside down, sideways, or even completely flipped over. And if you aren't expecting a puzzle... Well, let's just say I could have pieced it together a long time ago if I'd been paying any attention.<p>

The biggest piece of the puzzle, I'm sure you can guess... Was me. For whatever reason, Fate chose me to be the key to the mystery that baffled and worried Chiron and the Greek and Roman gods. Not to mention the Per Ankh, and the Egyptian gods. And, obviously, it also terrified my husband-to-be.

§§§

Nico and I had been dating for seven years. To the day. I took him to a wonderful little restaurant in Canada on our anniversary, a double date with Carter and Zia. They'd been dating a lot longer, but he still hadn't proposed to her, so when he suggested I take Nico to the old-fashioned Lullaby Diner, I suggested he and Zia come with us. It took a little convincing, but I managed it.

Carter and I worked out the details easily, even those of the proposals themselves, over the week leading up to the venture; Nico and Zia both thought it was a regular double date, despite the tight-lipped demeanor we took on that week.

When we went to pick up our dates from Camp Crossover—the demigods under my supervision had named the camp even though it wasn't official yet—I almost didn't want to use Freak; my stomach bunched nervously as I thought about climbing into the griffin-harnessed boat at the Brooklyn House with Carter and I worried it might rebel. But I was careful not to ruin the suit I wore; thankfully, the sturdy cotton-and-silk blend was designed to resist dirt, wear, and tears fairly well. And before we left, I made sure to check my reflection one last time for anything out of place.

I wore a tailored black suit with green and gold embroidery along the front and the bottom hem of my jacket, as well at the hems of my sleeves and across both of the wide, gold-thread-trimmed lapels. The pants had two strips, one gold and one forest green, lining the outside hems from hips to ankles. I checked to be sure my shoes were properly polished and my icy green shirt was free of wrinkles. I'd ironed it myself that morning, but I was paranoid, so I checked anyway.

My waist-length hair—I didn't see the point of cutting it, especially not when Nico loved using it to control me at night—had been brushed back into a low queue, minus one strand at the front that refused to be harnessed; I tucked that bit behind my ear. Then I ran my hand across my jaw, making sure I hadn't missed a spot when I'd shaved this afternoon. Satisfied, I joined Carter on the roof of Brooklyn House.

Carter had on a slightly simpler outfit; his suit was dark grey, with no adornments beyond a bright red rose in his lapel. The nervous excitement on his face more than made up for his lack of garish clothing.

"You look good," I noted as I helped him climb into the boat. Freak screeched and pawed at the roof, impatient to go.

"Thanks," the Kane boy grinned. "You, too." A light smile turned my lips up, my stomach unwinding just a bit. I gestured at the magician's bag over his shoulder.

"Are you going into a battle zone?" I asked teasingly. He chuckled, dropping the bag at his feet.

"We're late," he pointed out. "I'm going to store it in the Duat on the way. Anything you want to put there?" I thought about it a moment, and then shrugged.

"Nah; I've gotten pretty good at doing something similar with the Mist," I said, nodding my thanks for his offer.

"Whatever you like," he shrugged, taking up Freak's reins and urging the griffin into the sky. I held on, savoring the cooled evening air that splashed across my face. Subconsciously, I pulled Mist around the boat, hiding it from the eyes of any mortals watching the skies for stars. It wasn't really necessary, since the majority of our trip took us over the ocean from Manhattan to the southern edge of New Jersey, but it gave me practice.

Cheers rose up from the camp as we circled it, Carter maneuvering Freak to land on the training field. The demigods and few magicians hanging around kept a good distance from the griffin, so as not to get caught in the helicopter-blade wings. I hopped out of the boat and Kohn came to greet me, Orinda on his heels. They had all but taken over my camp, and I let them do practically whatever they wanted, so long as they ran it by me first.

Kohn and Orinda, at 25 and 24 years old, respectively, had grown much in the past seven years. Orinda, though she still had the deadly aura from her father that dared anyone to battle her, had softened a bit over the years and was much more likely to smile when she met someone than she used to be. Her jet black hair contrasted sharply against Kohn's honey-blonde locks, and her piercing, deep blue eyes, almost navy in color, stood out next to the stormy green-gray of Kohn's eyes. Both were well muscled, and both were exceedingly intelligent, especially when it came to battle; her battle-savvy complimented his strategic prowess, making for a deadly duo that had more than once been the salvation of the camp. For that, I owed them much, and they knew it.

"Hey, Ras," Orinda greeted, smiling and holding out her hand for mine. I clasped her wrist in a warriors greeting, something we'd been doing for pretty much the last seven years; we started the friendly salutation not long after the whole debacle with me and Kohn.

"Nice to see you, Rin," I said, returning her smile. When her firm grip loosened, I turned to Kohn and held out my hand for his. "Been a while, Robertson."

"It has," he agreed, taking my hand and pulling me into a quick hug. "What's it been, five weeks now?"

"Six," I corrected.

"And a half," Carter added behind me.

"Yeah, that," I laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "I guess I lost track of time with all that training. Not to mention all the monsters."

"You can say that again!" Orinda snorted. "I don't think we've gone a single day without an attack of some kind. The worst was last week, though..." Her mirth faded, and so did mine. My arm slipped from Carter's shoulders.

"Who'd we lose?" I asked softly.

"No more than we gained," Kohn answered gruffly. "A couple of satyrs brought some youngsters in. About half of them stayed here and the rest went with the satyrs to Half-Blood, and the very next morning a couple dozen ipotanes attacked. I don't know how they got through the wall—Kyle's working on that now—but they killed practically all the new kids and injured a few of the older ones."

"Practically?" I repeated hopefully.

"Jezebel Whitman, Jordan Alistair, and Girtin Reynolds," Orinda said. "They're the only ones that survived, and Jordan's in a partial coma." I grimaced.

"So, that's the bad news," I said. "Is there any good news?"

"Well, Jezebel is a daughter of Asclepius, just like Bella and Norman. And Girtin..."

"Tin-Tin," Kohn cut in, rolling his eyes. "That's what she wants to be called."

"Girtin," Orinda said pointedly, "is a daughter of Hecate, like you and Lindsey." The report made me brighten significantly.

"That is good news," I said. "And Jordan?"

"We don't know yet," Kohn answered. "He's only ten years old, and like we said, he's not exactly responding to us."

"Maybe I can help," I said, moving toward the medical tent. Orinda immediately barred my way.

"Not a chance, Ras," she scoffed. "You've got a date tonight. A rather important one, if I remember correctly." A heated blush spread across my face and neck.

"Yeah," I agreed, not bothering to hide the grin stretching my lips wide. My hand went automatically to the pocket where I'd put the tiny metal box containing the engagement ring I bought a few days ago.

"Hey, hey," Carter grinned, winking. "We've got some hot dates to pick up, don't we?" I laughed and led him to my tent, where Lilianna and Enova waited by the entrance. Both smiled in greeting and reached to hold aside the entrance flaps. Arsine stepped out, followed by Zia.

She wore an elegant off-white gown with an empress waist, wrapped by a long gold cloth belt with tassels at the ends. The top crisscrossed and wound around her neck, leaving her upper back bare. Old-fashioned sandals were tied to her feet, the straps wrapping around her ankles and calves, disappearing under the mid-calf hem of the front of the dress, which just reached the ground at the back. Dozens of gold bangles adorned her wrists, and two wide bands of gold clung to her biceps. A matching gold collar rested across her shoulders, and coupled with the stunning gold circlet glinting in her pixie-cut black hair, she looked like a queen stepped straight from ancient Egypt, the kohl around her dark eyes giving her a regal look.

"...W-wow," Carter breathed, staring at her. He held out his hand for hers and she smiled as she took it. "You look..."

"Pretty?" She suggested hopefully, her usual smug demeanor replaced by bashfulness and insecurity.

"Gods, no!" he answered. "I was going to saw gorgeous, but that word is much too tame for you." A bright pink blush spread across Zia's cheeks and she looked away.

"They are a nice couple, aren't they?" a deep, familiar voice asked, drawing my attention back to the tent. A smirk touched my lips as I turned.

"I couldn't have said it bet-" I cut off, my stomach flipping and my heart slamming against my chest as I saw him.

Nico wore an off-black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscular forearms. A dark maroon tie hung around his neck, loosened slightly. The top button of the shirt was undone, giving me an excellent view of his neck, which made me want to run my tongue up his throat. Pitch black slacks fit to his long legs hugged his hips, taunting me. Thick black work boots matched perfectly with the outfit, made complete by the jacket slung over his shoulder. His lengthy black hair, which glinted with a touch of auburn in the fading sunlight, was swept back, but otherwise untouched. I desperately wanted to muss it with my hands, pull him into a hot, steamy kiss by it. Or, better yet, pin him down in my bed by it.

"Are you ever going to finish your sentence?" he asked, cutting into my thoughts. His lips twitched upward; I noted the stubble darkening his chin, giving him a roguish look that made me hard.

"I doubt it," I said, shaking my head to restart my malfunctioning brain. "I can't think straight anymore; all the blood's gone from one head to the other." He laughed, nudging me with his elbow.

"You have a one-track mind, Erasmus," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, you coming?" Carter called to us.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," I called back, slipping my hand into Nico's. He twined his fingers with mine, leaning up to kiss my cheek. We'd both grown taller over the years, but I still held a scant half-inch of height over him, a fact of which I never stopped teasing him.

"Good luck, master," Lilianna said, winking.

"Be safe," Enova reminded.

"We will," I assured her. "Good night, girls; see you tomorrow."

§§§

It was probably a good thing Freak knew where to go; Carter was entirely distracted by Zia, and I had no clue how to drive a griffin.

We arrived at the Lullaby Diner quickly, without any issues, and were greeted by the owners on the roof of the cozy little building at the edge of a cozy little town surrounding a cozy little lake. They were an older couple, in their mid- to late-forties, but looked remarkably fit.

"Carter! So nice to see you again," the woman said joyously, stepping forward to hug him. "And Zia, my goodness, you've grown!" She went to hug Zia while her husband held out a hand to Carter.

"Welcome to the Eighteenth Nome, Kane," the man nodded.

"Thank you for having us, sir," Carter said, shaking his hand. "Erasmus, Nico, meet George and Belinda Samson, owners of the Lullaby Diner and leaders of the Eighteenth. Mr. Samson, these are Erasmus Porter and Nico di Angelo."

"Pleasure to meet you," I greeted, taking the man's hand. His grip was firm enough that mine was loosened.

"Same," Nico nodded, shaking his hand in turn. George returned the nod and glanced at his wife.

"We've got places all set up for you," Belinda smiled. "Come along!" She led us through the building to a closed-off balcony and opened the door. "This is for Carter and Zia; the servers will be right up with your food." They stepped past her onto the balcony and Belinda winked at Carter as he passed. The Kane boy glanced back at me.

"Good luck," I grinned, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Right back at you," he chuckled. Belinda closed the door behind them and ushered Nico and I down the hall.

"This way!" she chirruped.

"What was that all about?" Nico asked curiously as we followed her. I shrugged, hoping it didn't look too forced.

"Nothing," I answered. Belinda saved me from an interrogation by stopping and opening another door.

"And this is for you two," she said, beaming. "Your servers will also be up in just a moment." I took Nico's hand and pulled him in behind me. The door opened onto another small balcony, which looked out over the lake. Lights from the downtown portion of the city on the other side reflected off the water, making it glint and sparkle like jewels. Suburbs spread out around the edges of the lake, giving the area a comfortable feel.

I let go of Nico's hand to go stand at the railing, looking out at the waterscape. It was beautiful, especially with the almost full moon hovering just beyond the city. Stars, though dimmed by the lights, still gleamed proudly in the sky.

Hands slipped around my waist, wrapping me in a warm hug from behind. I rested one of my hands on the clasped pair in front of me and reached up with the other as a chin settled on my shoulder. My fingers ran through Nico's silky hair as I turned slightly to kiss his cheek.

"You picked a wonderful spot," he murmured, pressing his lips to my neck. I sighed, closing my eyes as a pleased smile touched my lips.

"Thank Carter," I replied. "He suggested it and made the arrangements." Nico chuckled placing a tender kiss just below my ear.

"Should it be Carter I think about when I bed you tonight?" he rumbled teasingly. I snorted.

"I'd have to skin him alive." We both laughed softly.

A knock at the door brought our attention back to reality and we turned from the railing as two young men in white cook coats brought in a trolley with several trays on it. They moved the trays to a small, two-person table off to one side and uncovered them, releasing small plumes of pleasant-smelling steam. One of the servers uncorked a bottle of wine and poured a sample into one of the wine glasses, handing it to me. I took a sip and nodded approvingly as I handed the glass back. The server filled it part way, did the same with the other glass, and left the bottle in an ice bucket by the side of the table, following his partner back inside.

Turning to Nico, I offered him a smile and gestured for him to sit, pulling out the chair for him. He smirked, rolling his eyes and sat.

The food was pleasant, and we talked idly about anything and everything, laughing occasionally. Partway through the meal, we heard loud laughter and found Carter and Zia about a hundred yards away, their balcony on the opposite end of the building from ours.

The servers returned every few minutes to check on us, and brought dessert when we finished.

"...but the movies make it look so much worse than it is," Nico was saying.

"And yet romanticize it," I nodded, smiling.

"And yet they try to romanticize it," Nico agreed, "which, in turn, shows that real life is ten times worse." We paused there until the servers left.

"It makes you wonder whether any of the producers were demigods," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Some things are true, but others are obviously made up."

"Ri- Exactly," he replied, nodding. "I have yet to see a film that portrays reality where it concerns our lives as demigods, but at the same time, I can understand why the producers would keep it a bit off from the truth."

"To keep mortals from figuring it out," I chuckled. "But if..." I trailed off as a high-pitched squeal of excitement reached us from Carter and Zia's balcony. I glanced over at them and then checked my watch. Midnight.

"What the...?" Nico frowned, partly amused, partly confused.

"I guess that's my cue," I said nervously, managing a smile as my stomach flip-flopped at the thought of what I was about to do. Standing, I moved around to Nico's side of the table, took a deep breath and lowered to one knee, at the same time pulling the little metal box from my pocket.

"...Ras..." he whispered when he saw it, eyes widening. Swallowing the lump of apprehension in my throat, I opened to box, revealing the silver leaflet-style ring engraved with swirling designs.

"Nico di Angelo," I said, somehow managing to keep my voice from quavering. "You would do me great honor by accepting this ring and the offer of marriage it represents." One hand went to his mouth as he stared in shock, and my nervousness took over. "I know the setting is really cliché, and dinner isn't exactly an original idea, but it fit perfectly, and honestly I'm not the most creative person in the world, and I was really just grasping at straws; I tried to make it perfect for you, I really did, a-"

"Oh shut up," he interrupted, grabbing the front of my jacket and yanking me forward. His lips met mine in a flurry of passionate excitement. His tongue slipped into my mouth, sliding across mine in a way that heated every part of me. I moaned softly, reaching up with my free hand to cup his cheek. Stubble prodded my fingers, sending spears of desire through my body. My body hardened at the feel of his whiskers scraping against my cheek, my jaw, my neck. I groaned aloud, tangling my fingers in his hair.

"Should I take that as a yes?" I asked breathlessly. He chuckled lightly and I felt him smirk against my throat.

"Absolutely," he answered, pulling me up onto his lap. I set the ring box on the table and wrapped my arms around his neck. Leaning down, I gently kissed his cheek.

"My lover," I whispered, moving to the other cheek. "My boyfriend... My husband." I laid my lips across his, kissing him with a passion that surprised even me.

Suddenly, he broke away, laughing. I sat back and tilted my head, giving him a curious look. He shook him head in amusement.

"Nico Porter," he said. "It sounds... Normal." He laughed again, and I smiled.

"I don't think we could ever be normal," I chuckled, resting my forehead against his. "And I'm pretty sure our last names get combined; di Angelo-Porter."

"Sometimes I wish it were possible, being normal," he noted somberly, giving my nose a chaste kiss.

At that moment, the door opened. A waiter entered, a grim expression on his face, as we looked up. I noticed a shimmering around him and frowned. Unless he was a magician moving through the Duat, there should be no reason for the shimmering; I knew he wasn't a demigod, since we were in a magician's establishment, so he had to be a magician.

"Sirs," he greeted with a slight bow. "I have an important message for you." My frown deepened. Something was very, very wrong with the waiter.

"A message?" I echoed, standing. Nico started to stand as well, but I gestured for him to stay, eying the waiter suspiciously.

"Yes, sir," he said, looking up to meet my gaze. I froze, realizing what was wrong; his eyes. The blank look, the shimmering... He was a mortal. Under a Greek spell.

"From whom?" I demanded sharply. Fear ran undercurrent to the spell in his features, but only for a moment before returning to bland indifference.

"From Master," the waiter responded. He held out a slip of paper. Cautiously, I took it, half expecting it to blow up. Or the guy to attack, at least. Neither happened; the waiter bowed slightly again, and left without another word.

"What was that about?" Nico murmured, frowning. I shrugged slowly.

"I have no idea." Glancing at him, I gave him a quirky grin. "Why would you want to be normal? You'd miss out on the weird stuff like that." He rolled his eyes.

"What does the note say?" he asked, ignoring me and standing. Turning so he could see, I unfolded the paper and read it aloud.

"I know something that can help you. Something you have wanted to know for nearly eight years. If you want to find the answer you're looking for, meet me on the anniversary in Helena, Montana. And don't worry about finding me; I'll find you." There was no name at the bottom, and I flipped it over, but it was blank there too. "No signature."

"The hell is this guy talking about?" Nico scowled. "What's this; 'I'll find you'? Sounds phony to me."

"I don't know," I countered. "Eight years... What happened eight years ago?"

"No idea," he admitted. "I think that was when I first found out I was a demigod... Unless it was before then..." He shook his head dismissively. "I don't know." I studied the note, looking for some hidden message between the lines or something, anything we might have missed simply reading it.

"Eight years...?" I whispered. There had to be something one of us was missing. Who was the message intended for, anyway?

A scream of terror from inside the restaurant made both of us look up sharply. Glass shattered and tables crashed. Exchanging a momentary glance that needed no words, I summoned our swords from the Mist 'backpack' that always stayed near me. Handing his ice-cold blade to him with a smirk, I drew my Heavenly Steel and went to the door.

"This is going to be fun," he said, a sarcastic grin on his face. "Monsters just love a buffet."

"Let's go let them know the restaurant is invite only," I offered, clicking open the door. "After you." Snorting, he slipped past me and darted silently down the hall. I followed, almost running into Carter as he and Zia came bounding down the hall.

"You heard it too?" he asked, gripping his _khopesh_ tightly.

"Yeah, let Nico and I get this one," I said. "You've got a pretty fiancée to watch out for."

"You haven't asked him yet?" Carter frowned.

"Oh I asked him alright," I grinned. "And he accepted. We'll have to talk marriage plans later. For right now, though, you should go prep Freak. We might need a quick getaway."

"But..!" he began. Too late; I was already down the hall.

The dining room was a mess. Tables were thrown all over the place, some broken, some simply overturned. Chairs littered the room. Mortal patrons scrambled this way and that, frightened for their lives. Glass and food were everywhere, making a disaster zone for anyone trying to get through. You know, like me.

And right in the middle of all the chaos, Nico faced off with a Minotaur. I beamed happily as my husband-to-be sidestepped a swipe of the monster's horns and slashed its leg with his sword, taunting it. The beast roared in pain and reared back, preparing for another strike. I was already moving, sending the Mist to throw of the Minotaur's aim. It raised a fist and slammed it down mere inches from Nico who ignored the near miss to give me a look.

"You're slow," he criticized tauntingly. "I've already got four marks on you."

"Three," I corrected, smirking. "It would have smashed you a moment ago."

"Details," he snorted, rolling his eyes in amusement. I gripped my sword and grinned at him.

"Better make that two," I said, and proceeded to lunge forward, dodging under the monster's punch and jabbing it in the side. It vanished with a puff of gold dust, making me sigh. "Damn. Looks like I'll have to wait to even the score."

"Hah, good luck, Ras," Nico laughed, brushing monster remains from my shoulder and leaning over to kiss my cheek.

"Mm, thanks," I chuckled. "I'll need it." Turning, I caught his mouth with mine and kissed him warmly.

"How nice," Carter cut in sarcastically. "A Greek monster just attacked an Egyptian restaurant, and you two are standing around making out instead of finding out why." I snorted a laugh, pulling away from Nico. The other couple stood off to one side, but the rest of the room was empty; they must have gotten the mortals out. Gods know what they thought was happening.

"You know, I think Sadie and Zia are finally rubbing off on you," I noted. He shrugged, his cheeks tinting. "Where is your sister, by the way?"

"She's hanging out with Annabeth," Zia answered.

"Annabeth?" Nico frowned. She nodded.

"Yeah, they've been really close since you," she glanced at me, "brought demigods and magicians together."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "I guess that makes sense; they seemed to hit it off pretty quick when they met at the camp."

"At the camp?" Zia scoffed. "They met long before that, Ras. Remember that subway crash on Rockaway Beach?"

"Wait, let me guess," I said, shaking my head with a smile. "Annabeth and Sadie destroyed the place fighting with a monster."

"Forget the monster," Carter said. "They battled Serapis himself."

"Serapis?" Nico asked, frowning again as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"The name is familiar," I muttered, scratching my temple as I tried to remember where I'd heard it before.

"Maybe this'll jog your memory," Carter said, crossing his arms. "Alexandria, Ptolemy, merging of the cultures and the gods..."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "Serapis was the ruler of the gods! Ptolemy created him from a minor god and sought to become a god-king like the pharaohs of old, but over both cultures, Greek and Egyptian!"

"And nearly succeeded," Carter nodded. "According to Sadie's recount and my follow-up research, Serapis took over the Underworld from Hades and Osiris, denied and possibly killed Ptolemy, and ruled strongly for quite a while. He tried to return just before you showed up with Nico, Reyna, and... the satyr, whatever his name is. Sadie and Annabeth stopped him, but only just." He grimaced. "And Sadie came back to beat me over the head for not telling her I met Percy." I smiled, recalling how Sadie had whapped him for thinking I was Percy when we first met. I could easily see her bopping him over the head with her staff.

"How did he get back in this world in the first place?" Nico asked, interested. I suspected his interested stemmed from hearing that the god had taken his father's place as lord of the Underworld.

"We think Setne was behind it," Zia replied, her tone bitter.

"Setne?" Nico and I asked at the same time.

"A horrible, powerful magician that has managed to escape my father several times," Carter scowled. It was obvious this Setne was not a friend.

"Your father? He hosts Osiris, right?" I noted. He nodded. "I met him when I died; he doesn't strike me as the type to let someone like Setne run free."

"He wouldn't," Carter said glumly, "...if he could catch him."

"...I take it Setne is the Houdini of magicians," I said, partly amused and partly worried.

"Try Houdini, bin Laden, Hitler, and every other tyrant you can think of all mixed into one," Zia snorted. "Oh, and add a suave personality and the ability to charm his way out of practically any situation."

"Oh."

"Yeah, he's bad," she sighed. "And as much as I hate to admit it, he might be behind a Minotaur crashing through Lullaby Diner."

"Joy," I winced. "So... how do we beat him?"

"No idea," Carter grunted, annoyed. "Like we said, he's managed to escape from the Duat many times, and he's really tricky."

"Then we're going to need all the help we can get," I said, pulling out from under Nico and surveying the wrecked dining room. "Give me a moment and we'll go back to the camp to get backup." Closing my eyes, I used magic and the Mist to restore tables, chairs, glasses, dishes, and silverware to their proper places and conditions. I replaced the food with fresh things, and repaired any damage to the walls, ceiling and floor. When I finished, I felt drained, and wobbled. Nico quickly grabbed my shoulders, supporting me.

"It never ceases to amaze me the things you can do," he said, shaking his head and looking around. "You ok?"

"Yeah, just tired," I smiled wearily. "Let's get back to camp and start working on a plan to defeat Setne if he ever shows up."

§§§

I fell asleep on the way back. Well, dozed. As soon as Nico sat by the railing next to me, I leaned against him and slipped off. I could feel the boat moving, and heard the others talking in low voices so as not to disturb me, but otherwise I was unaware of anything.

"Ras," Nico said softly, brushing my hair back and rubbing my cheek with his thumb. "Hey, time to get up." I blinked a couple of times, rousing myself, and sat up, inhaling to get oxygen to my brain.

"Back?" I asked, sounding a bit drunk as I pressed my knuckles to my eyes.

"Yeah," he replied, toying with the loose strand of my hair. "You slept the whole way." Sighing, I stood.

"Then let's grab Kohn and see about g-" I trailed off as stars cluttered my vision and my head felt light. Groping blindly, I reached for the railing before I fell over. I missed. Nico caught and steadied me, chuckling.

"Remind me not to get you drunk," he teased. My head cleared slowly; I waited until I could hold myself upright and then shoved him away playfully.

"Just dizzy, genius," I retorted. "I stood up too fast."

"Then maybe you should lie down," he said mischievously. Despite the banter, I could see the seriousness in his dark gaze.

"Only if you're going to also," I returned, stepping up to him. He snorted.

"You're full of contradictions," he stated. "Pushing me away and coming right back to me."

"What can I say?" I chuckled, bracing my hands on the railing on either side of him. "You're addicting." Leaning in, I nipped his bottom lip, catching it and sucking lightly.

"Hey, lovebirds, get a room." We broke apart and looked over at Carter. He watched us, amused, but he wasn't the one who'd spoken. He jerked his head toward the edge of the boat. To my utter surprise, Hermes leaned against the railing, chin propped up on his palm, eyeing us with the same look of amusement as on Carter's face.

"Hermes?" I said, blinking. "What...?"

"An engagement present, from your mother," he answered. "Do you want it now, or should I come back after you've finished celebrating?" Heat spread up my neck and across my cheeks.

"Ah, no... Now, please," I managed. Smirking, he stood upright and snapped his fingers. A large box, about as tall as my waist, appeared next him. FedEx. For some reason, I found that funny and tried not to smile in case I offended the messenger god.

"Sign here, please," he said, conjuring his staff, which instantly turned into a pad. I signed on the line and cocked my head at the package, curious. "Congratulations, by the way." With a nod, Hermes vanished.

"I really want to open it," I said, still eying the box. Nico laughed.

"Go ahead," Carter chuckled. "Although I would much prefer it if you opened it in your tent. Too often I've had things blow up with me..."

"Oh, so you're fine if my tent gets blown up, but not if your boat does?" I asked, raising my eyebrow skeptically.

"...Pretty much," he grinned.

"You're so nice," I said sarcastically. "Nico, would you help me get this to the tent?"

"I'm as curious as you are," he answered, sitting on the edge of the box and holding out his hand. I took it and brought it to my lips, brushing a gentle kiss on his knuckles. The boat disappeared and a moment later, my tent faded into view.

"You have definitely gotten better at that," I said, impressed. Over the past couple of years, he'd finally been allowed to stop visiting Will at Camp Half-Blood whenever he shadow-traveled. He'd also trained under the son of Apollo's supervision until they were sure he wasn't in danger of vanishing whenever he tried to use the ability.

"Thank you," he grinned as I stepped back. "Are you going to open it?" Standing, he moved to one side and I chuckled.

"Why not?" Crouching beside the box, I picked at the tape until I could peel it away. The top came off easily, and when I pulled the packing paper away, my eyes widened; I couldn't suppress a soft gasp of shock.

"...Your mother... got you armor?" Nico asked, wide-eyed.

"Um... Is that a good thing, or is Mother going crazy?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Put it on; let's make sure it fits." I pulled out the first piece, which looked almost like a Kevlar vest made out of metal, and complete with pockets and straps. But it moved like fabric, which surprised me.

A letter was taped to the front. I pulled it off, draping the vest over the edge of the box and all but tearing open the envelope, which had my name written on it in delicate, flowing script.

"My dear son," I read aloud, "I'm so proud of you. Congratulations on the engagement! I was sure he'd accept, so I talked to Archangel Michael..." Pausing, I blinked and reread that. No way. My mother had talked with _the_ Archangel? The leader of the angels that threw Lucifer and his followers out of heaven?

"Talked to him about...?" Nico prompted, curiosity in his gaze. I pushed aside my amazement for a moment and continued reading.

"...so I talked to Archangel Michael and got some more of the metal you call Heavenly Steel. I called in a favor from Hephaestus and had him make you a full set of armor. Don't worry, it's light, but still durable, and it has three unique qualities that together set it apart from any other material or metal in existence: first, it will never break or tear, except by Heavenly Steel, and given that you have to only such blade in the world, I doubt you have to worry; second, it will never get dirty, so you never have to wash or polish it; and third—I think you'll really like this one—it can change shape, size, and appearance, so you can wear it like a second layer as a hoodie or jacket, or you can simply..." I trailed off, shocked at the next words. Glancing up at Nico, I couldn't help but grin. "...or you can simply wear an invisible layer of protection."

"Ok, I have to admit, that is pretty cool," he said, impressed.

"And she's not finished," I noted. "Listen. 'Either way, I know you'll find this gift a great help in your line of work. I love you, son, and I wish you the best of luck in everything you do. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be more powerful than me. In fact, you might even earn your own godhood someday.'" That made me smile. "'With love, your mother.' And she wrote something for you, too. 'P.S. Tell your boyfriend... excuse me, fiancée (unless he's already reading this) that his father sent him a gift as well. It's supposed to be at the top of the box, but knowing Hermes, it's probably at the bottom. Enjoy, both of you.' Sounds fun."

"Dad sent me something?" Nico clarified, definitely interested now.

"I didn't think it was possible for me to get any more curious than I was," I said, picking up the vest again. "I guess I just got proved wrong." Piece by piece, I pulled out my armor. Then I frowned, a chill running up my spine. I ignored it. "And... curiosity has just increased. There's nothing else." Nico frowned.

"Really?" he asked. "You sure?" I shrugged, gesturing to the box.

"It's empty." He stared at the bottom of the box and tilted his head to one side. Curious, I watched him. "What?"

"...There is something," he said, his brow furrowing. "I just can't tell what."

"How do you know?" I asked, intrigued.

"It calls to me, just like my sword," he answered. Which meant whatever was in there was definitely Underworld-made, and was probably the reason I'd felt that tremor of fear just a moment ago. Nico reached in and pulled something out. Something invisible. My eyes widened as a thought occurred to me.

"Could it be...?" I gaped. "Nico, you know your dad has the Helm of Darkness, right?"

"This isn't it," he said, shaking his head. "I've seen it before, and this is... different... not as big or bulky, and..." He ran his hands over the object, which was about the size of a fist, and circular. "...it's not a helmet."

"Can you make it visible, or does it stay like that?" I asked, nodding at it. He shrugged.

"I have no clue. But I'll bet if I put it on it'll work just like Dad's Helm." Turning it over in his hands, he inspected it with his fingers. Suddenly he grinned. "It's a bracelet. Well, ok, not a bracelet; more like a cuff."

"Put it on," I urged, eager to see if it did work. Doffing his shirt so it wouldn't get in the way, he slipped his hand through the center of the object and slid it up his arm to his bicep. Normally I'd be admiring his washboard abs and sculpted shoulders, but at the moment I was more interested in the cuff. It stuck for a moment just past his elbow, but he worked it up further until it rested under his shoulder. Nothing happened. I figured it was something else, and would only activate when he was in battle, or maybe just when he was in trouble. He stared at the place he'd put the cuff, thinking. Then he grinned and vanished. My jaw hit the floor.

"Yeah, it works just like Dad's Helm," his voice chuckled from where he'd been standing.

"How did you...?"

"Part of my abilities," he pointed out, coming back into view. "If I want to be invisible while wearing it, I will be. Same as with the Helm." I glanced at his arm and my lips twitched upward.

"And I'll bet the same goes for the cuff," I noticed, pointing out the now-visible gold band about two inches wide and decorated with several white gems that I realized a moment later were actually skulls. Greek symbols were etched into the gold, symbols for death, I knew. Nico glanced down and eyed the band. A moment later, it vanished. Then it reappeared.

"It's much too pretty to leave hidden," he said, glancing at me with a crooked smile. I chuckled.

"Pretty, huh?" Standing, I stepped toward him.

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of me," he snorted, rolling his eyes. I shrugged off my jacket, tossing it on the bed beside my armor.

"Making fun of you is enjoyable," I noted, putting my hands on his shoulders and brushed them slowly down his back, "but making love _to_ you is much better."


	2. Chapter 2

You know, having someone walk in on you while you're having sex is definitely not fun. Especially not when it's your sibling.

I pressed Nico toward the bed, leaning forward to press my lips to the corner of his mouth. He bit my lip, sucking at it for a moment, pulling away, and then biting again. Heat seared my lower body, intensifying as his hand slid around my waist and he tucked one hand under my belt, pulling me closer. He sat, slowly, and I moved with him, pushing him back until he lay across my bed and trailing gentle kisses down his jaw to his ear as I leaned over him. Pressing my body between his legs, I caught his lobe between my teeth and tugged softly, making him groan in delight. Smirking at the reaction I felt building against my groin, I let go and latched onto his neck, biting and sucking, forcing a bruise. He hissed, tangled his legs with mine, and plucked at my shirt, un-tucking it from my pants so he could slide his cool hands up my stomach and chest. Cold metal brushed my skin and I jerked involuntarily, pulling away from him.

"What is it?" he asked, worried. In answer, I took his wrist and pulled his hand out from under my shirt. He obliged, spreading his hand for me, but frowning in confusion. A wide smile spread across my lips as I saw what had made me jump. The ring.

"You're wearing it," I said, aware that my gaze softened lovingly as I locked gazes with him. He smiled, reaching up his left hand to caress my face, the cold ring chilling my jaw pleasantly.

"Of course," he answered softly. "I went back for it after making sure Carter had you on the boat." His statement touched me, and my eyes stung, watering. I blinked back tears. Great; no better turn-off than your partner crying over you. Something was seriously wrong with me.

"Oh God, Nico..." I whispered, my voice breaking. "I love you... so much..." He slipped his right hand around my waist, his left around my neck, and pulled me to him, molding his lips to mine passionately.

"I know," he murmured into the kiss. "I love you, too, Razzie." No one else, not Orinda, not Lindsey, not Heka, not even my mother, would ever get away with calling me that. But from him, I loved it.

Holding me tightly, he twisted, putting me partly under him, and braced himself on his elbow, shifting to wedge one leg between my thighs. The pressure of his thigh on my groin made me gasp, breaking the kiss. He nibbled my bottom lip, his teeth clicking against mine. I moaned softly, running my hands up his back to his shoulders and digging my nails into his skin. Even through my shirt, I could feel his heart rate increase. He groaned, pressing himself closer to me; his erection ground against my hip.

My body took over and I flipped him back, putting him under me again. Straddling him, I reached between us to unbutton his slacks while kissing his throat. His fingers went to work unbuttoning my shirt. I let him open it, but stopped him as he moved to push it over my shoulders. Leaning up, I pressed my mouth to his momentarily.

"Tonight..." I breathed, "It's all about you." He started to protest, but my hand in his pants cut him off with a blissful gasp.

"Ras..." he moaned. I closed my eyes, breathing his scent, tasting the salt on his skin, listening to the gentle noises of pleasure I caused. Leaving a trail of kisses and hickeys, I worked my way down his chest and stomach, pushing his pants down to release his enlarged member. He shivered, reaching down to tangle his fingers in my hair, which pulled most of it from the queue. I licked the tip of his cock, swirling my tongue around his head.

Suddenly, he pushed me back, panting like he'd just run a marathon. I glanced up at him curiously.

"Keep doing that, I'm finished before the fun's over," he gasped, making me chuckle.

"You want me inside you first?" I asked sensually, flicking my tongue up the side of his member. He groaned.

"Yes..." His breathy voice reminded me of the first time we'd done this, seven plus years ago. Tugging his pants further down, I slid up his body to kiss him. He squirmed beneath me, somehow managing to kick off the rest of his clothes without breaking the kiss. I chuckled.

"So needy," I teased, scraping my cheek on his stubble. "I really shouldn't assist an addict." I unbuckled my belt, unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "But unfortunately, I sympathize."

"You're a jerk," he grumbled light-heartedly.

"You won't be saying that in a moment," I promised, pressing my member against him. He gasped and clutched at my shoulders.

"Do it already, you insufferable tease," he snapped.

The tent flap slapped aside.

"SHIT!" I cursed, yanking the Mist around us so we'd at least appear clothed.

"Oh God..." the little girl said, wide-eyed. "I did NOT need to see that!"

"LILIANNA!" I bellowed, standing and flicking my wrist. The blankets covered Nico, who was flushing head to toe in embarrassment. The youngest empousa burst into the tent. "Who let her near my tent? Why isn't she with the other kids, asleep? It's late!" I glanced at my watch and grimaced. "Forget late; it's early..."

"I... I don't know!" Lilianna squeaked. "I didn't even see her!" Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"You're Girtin, aren't you?" I asked.

"Tin-Tin Reynolds," the little girl announced proudly. "You're Erasmus Porter, aren't you?" The sarcasm in her voice definitely wasn't lost on me. I glanced up at her with one raised eyebrow.

"Really? What gave it away?" I snorted. "The fact that my tent is so far away from everyone else's, or was it seeing me in bed with a man?" She blushed. "What do you want, Girtin?"

"It's Tin-Tin, and I had to meet you," she said snippily.

"And you couldn't wait until morning?" I asked. "Well, later in the morning? Lilianna, get her to bed. Make sure she gets her s-"

"I'm cursed," Girtin blurted sharply. Frowning, I propped one hand on my hip and gestured for Lilianna to leave her.

"Cursed?" I repeated. "I'm pretty sure demigods don't get cursed... They get angry or jealous gods or goddesses chasing after them. Or monsters."

"No, I'm cursed." Girtin planted her feet and crossed her arms. "Know how I know?"

"How?" I prompted, amused at her audacity.

"Mom told me," she answered, shocking me.

"Hecate talked to you?" I clarified.

"What, you thought you were the only one of her children she actually talks face-to-face with?" she snorted.

"No, but I am curious as to why?" I frowned.

"She wanted to warn me," she shrugged. "Said whoever had cursed me wasn't going to stop until I was dead. And..." She pursed her lips, glancing at Lilianna, and then at Nico, who was propped up on his elbow, watching curiously.

"If you're wanting privacy," I noted, "not happening."

"You said it," she replied. "Someone's got a rape rap out for you."

"A _what_?" Nico blurted. I couldn't even talk; my jaw dropped.

"There's a... a report, or something," she nodded. "Police are actually on the lookout for you."

"...You're kidding," I managed. "Rape?"

"I don't know, I'm just telling you what Mom told me," she said, holding up her hands. "...And I saw your picture on the news two weeks ago." I gritted my teeth, looking down.

"...What do you know?" I asked, not meeting her gaze.

"Thirteen-year-old girl," she explained. "Orphan. She told the police she was raped, they sent her to a hospital. They confirmed her statement, and when the police asked her to describe her attacker, she described you." She paused. "I hope you know, I almost ended up in prison to get that information."

"How'd you get out of it, then?" Nico growled, sitting up.

"Nico..." I started.

"I, ah... don't think you want to know..." she said slowly, piquing my curiosity.

"Girtin?" I prompted, probably a bit more sharply than necessary.

"...The cops caught me looking up the girl's file," she said, fidgeting nervously. "They wanted to know why, and at the time, I didn't know how to manipulate the Mist at all..."

"What'd you do?" Nico snapped. She grimaced, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"I had to say it to get away!" she said, her eyes watering. "I'm sorry!"

"Girtin. Say what?" I asked, tensing. Something in my gut told me I wasn't going to enjoy the answer. At all.

"...I told them... I told them I was the same as that girl," she said, her voice soft.

"Oh no," Nico groaned. "You didn't...?" Her lack of response was enough. "Damn it!" He started to move.

"Nico, stop," I said firmly, pressing my fingers to my temples. "Lilianna, get Arsine and Enova. Have them shut down the camp. No one goes in or out. Tell Orinda and Kohn I need to talk to them, and... Actually, send Lore and Lindsey out to town to get supplies for a month. Then shut down the camp. Send an Iris-message to Chiron to let him know what happened, and make sure he doesn't send any satyrs our way." I stopped, and after a moment, Lilianna nodded and left. Then I glanced at Girtin. "Thank you for being honest with me... Tin-Tin." She looked up, wide-eyed.

"Y-you're not angry with me?" she asked in amazement. I managed a weak smile.

"Why should I be?" I asked. "Listen... Seven years ago, I lied to save a friend's life. And at the time, he was my worst enemy. Well, mortal, anyway. But my point is, sometimes a lie is beneficial in the long run." Pausing, I moved across the tent and knelt beside her. "Hey. Don't worry about it. Yes, we'll have a bit of difficulty for a while, but trust me; it isn't something I can't deal with. Ok?"

"You sure you're not angry?" she asked, worried but hopeful.

"I'm sure," I said. "Tin-tin, how old are you?"

"Ten. Why?" She frowned. I smiled. Genuinely, this time.

"You know, when I was ten, I had my first run-in with what I would have considered 'supernatural.' My father tried to tell me who I really was. He got called away on some mission, and he lost his nerve; never tried to tell me again. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I learned I was a demigod. I spent about a month on the run, refusing to admit the truth that my brain kept telling me, and then I had it presented in such a way that I couldn't refute. Of course, it was only a few days after that little episode that I found out I was also a magician."

"So it's true," she murmured, wide-eyed. I chuckled at her awe.

"It is indeed true," I nodded, "that I am... 'unique,' I think was the word Nico used." I glanced over my shoulder at him just as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I tried 'freak'; didn't go over very well." She giggled.

"You know, you really are as nice as they say," she said. Glancing at Nico, she grinned and leaned over. "And just as cute." My surprise must have shown clearly on my face, because her grin widened. Leaning over, she kissed my cheek, catching the corner of my mouth. I froze in shock, and she used that moment to escape, giggling.

"...Did she just k-" Nico began.

"Kiss me?" I cut in, staring after her. "Yeah. Yeah..."

"...I'm not sure whether to hate her for kissing my fiancée, or love her because she's managed to do the one thing I have never seen anyone else do." Frowning curiously, I stood and faced him.

"And what's that?" I asked.

"She surprised you."

"Surprised me?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah. Big time." He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, but didn't get up, which left me with an excellent view of his entire body, minus the majority of his lap. I wasn't sure if it was 'fortunately' or 'unfortunately,' but I hardened almost instantly.

"Why is it such a surprise that I was... surprised?" I asked, distracting myself. He gave me a bland look.

"You're like the king of indifference, Erasmus," he said. "You don't jump when someone comes up behind you and tries to scare you, you aren't fazed when someone does something completely unexpected; stoicism is like a... a natural law for you."

"Law?" I echoed, amused.

"You're an asshole."

"What?" I frowned. "Why am I an asshole?"

"Point in case," he noted drily. "Most people would have spluttered some indistinct reply as a lame excuse before demanding to know why." A light smirk touched his lips. "Most people would be surprised. You, on the other hand... You're curious. It's actually rather entertaining."

"What is?" I asked, not sure whether I should be amused or annoyed.

"Watching people react to your non-reaction," he chuckled. "Especially people who don't know you." I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips as I shook my head.

"You take great pleasure in other people's _dis_pleasure, you know that?" I stated.

"And you're a jerk," he pointed out. "But I'm pretty sure we already covered that base."

"And you're..." Crossing my arms, I pursed my lips and narrowed my gaze at the tent wall. "Hmm... So many options... Annoying, abrasive, attractive, aggravating, attractive... Oh wait, I said that one already." Nico laughed.

"Got a thing for words that start with 'A'?" he snorted.

"Would you prefer 'S'?" I offered, moving across the tent slowly, taking my time. "I can think of several good words. Sexy... Right up there at the top of the list. Alongside sultry, sensual... 'sly' works too." Lust flared in his gaze and he leaned back on his hands.

"Sly, am I?" he noted. I stopped in front of him.

"Hey now, don't misquote me; I said 'sexy' first," I pointed out. He snorted a laugh, sitting up and putting his hands on my hips. I stepped between his knees and draped my arms across his shoulders.

"I think that term fits you just as well," he said.

"Thank you," I smirked, gently pushing him back on the bed.

"Hey now, don't get full of yourself," he said, mimicking my tone. "I said 'think.'" Laughing, I pressed my lips to his and pushed him back until he lay back on the bed and I hung over him. Using the Mist, I made sure this time to close and _latch_ the tent flap.

"Why do you always land on me?" he asked through the kiss. I broke it to laugh at the seven-and-a-half-year-old joke.

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckled. "All my fault."

"Definitely your fault," he murmured, smirking. "Pushing me down like this..."

This time, 'unfortunately' was unquestionably the word I needed; I recalled the information Girtin had brought. Nico sensed my shift in moods and pushed me back, frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "If it's what I said, I..."

"It's not you," I interrupted, rolling over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry."

"Then it's you," he noted, sitting up next to me. "What is it?"

"Nothing you need to be bothered about," I said, forcing a light smile on my lips. "Having a ten-year-old who happens to be your sister walk in on you can be a massive turn-off." Giving me a skeptical look, he reached over to touch the slight bulge in my pants.

"But not a total turn-off," he pointed out. "What is it?" When I hesitated to answer, he sighed. "Erasmus, if we're going to get married, my problems become your problems, and your problems become mine. No better time to start than the present." Well, he certainly had me there. And any good marriage is founded on trust; in each other as much as in God.

Closing my eyes and tilting my head back, I inhaled deeply as I prayed for strength and courage. With my exhale, I opened my eyes again.

"...I'm wanted for rape." My voice was soft, barely above a whisper. And there went the rest of my arousal. Too bad.

"Is that what's worrying you?" Nico asked. "Oh, Ras..." Shifting, he sat behind me, sliding his hands up my chest and kissing my shoulder. "It's a false claim, you know that. You told Girtin..."

"I told Girtin what she needed to hear," I cut in dolefully. "I don't know this is going to work out. I don't know who's behind it, who's pulling strings to stick me in a prison cell that I can so obviously leave whenever I want to but won't if I actually get caught. I don't know why I'm hiding in a camp full of demigods and magicians that will be in just as much danger as I am if I don't leave." I sighed. "And just as much danger if I do leave."

"Why?" he prompted. The tone of his voice said he already had an idea of what I'd say but wanted to get my mind working.

"Nico, someone wants me out of the way," I said gloomily. "Probably the same someone that wants Girtin dead. Maybe it's this... Setne, maybe it's someone else entirely. It might even be the same person that killed my f-" I stopped abruptly, blinking. "That's it."

"What?" Curiosity colored his voice this time.

"The note," I explained, turning to look at him. "Remember? Eight years, the anniversary... The note was meant for me. Eight years ago, the day after tomorrow. That's when my father died."

"So... Psycho's trying to get you out of the camp," he said, surprisingly passive. It put me on guard.

"But why?" I countered. "According to Mother, I'm powerful enough that I could be a god in my own right; what would this guy gain by facing me outside the camp that he couldn't get by facing me here?"

"Leverage," he answered, the passiveness cracking just enough for me to see the rage it hid. I winced, partly berating myself for not having considered it earlier, partly fearful for my camp.

"If I left and he captured even one of the demigods here..." I trailed off, silently agreeing.

"...Go," he said after a moment.

"To Montana?" I frowned. "Why? I thought we just made it clear I _can't_ go, not without him breaking in for hostages."

"You go," he clarified. "I'll stay here and watch over your camp for you." Terror struck me.

"No, Nico, you can't," I argued. "What if he gets you?"

"I believe your Jesus put it quite nicely," he said, smiling gently, reassuringly. "Have you so little faith?" Part of me was overjoyed that he had read at least a little bit of the Bible I'd given him several years ago. The other, more rational part screamed at me to make him see the problem with his theory.

"I trust you implicitly," I returned. "Psycho, on the other hand..." I shook my head. "I wouldn't put it past him to slip something in your food or pose as a helpless demigod, or something else to put you off your guard." Taking his left hand, I fingered the ring. "...Nico, if anything happened to you, I don't think I could handle it. You're my everything. Only two things give my life meaning: God, and you. I would die if you got hurt." Gently caressing my cheek, he leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on my mouth.

"I know," he said, his dark eyes warm with love. "It's the same way for me; every sane part of me is begging me to make you stay here, where I can watch your back. But at the same time, I know that you need this." He must have known I'd protest because his finger went to my lips before they could open. "And you do need this, Erasmus. It's your _father_. Unlike me, you've been without a male role model in your life for eight years. For a while, you didn't have anyone."

"Neither did you for a while," I pointed out, referring to when he bounced back and forth between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, not belonging anywhere. I'd found out about it from Percy and Jason, and I hadn't been very happy with Nico that he didn't tell me himself, after which he promised to tell me anything so long as I asked.

"But I chose that," he said now. "I needed it, just like you need this. Go find out what happened to your father, and when you come back, I'll be waiting for you."

The offer was so tempting. Which was why I hesitated. He made perfect sense, but I had a sinking feeling this meeting was a trap, and one or both of us would come out of this whole thing changed, if not hurt. And besides that, I hated the thought of being so selfish as to leave the camp unprotected for my own gain.

But... My father. All my questions, my longing... I could find out what happened to him, and maybe even find some way to contact him. I could get my questions answered. And, more importantly, I could get my father back. Maybe not alive, but at least into my life again.

"...First thing in the morning," I said finally, quietly. "I'll talk to Kohn, Rin, and Lindsey about setting up a shield or something to help keep monsters out, and take an Iris-route to Helena. I'll be gone two days, max. If Psycho doesn't contact me by the day of the anniversary, I'm coming back, no matter what."

"What if someone pretends to be you while you're gone?" he asked. Good question. I thought about it a moment.

"If I greet Rin with the warrior's handshake before I greet you, then you'll know it's me," I said. "Everyone, even the gods, know we're dating. Most of them probably know we're engaged. Not greeting you first would be abnormal."

"Then greet Kohn as well," he said, "and I'll be doubly sure." He smiled and I snorted, rolling my eyes in amusement.

"Lay down, idiot," I said. "It'd be nice to have you lucid when I leave." Chuckling, he obeyed, tugging my sleeve to get me down also. I stretched out beside him, taking his hand in mine as he snuggled up beside me.

I fell asleep dreaming of him.


	3. Chapter 3

It's hard to relax when you're constantly looking over your shoulder. I doubt I'll ever see Helena, Montana as a pleasant place again.

My dreams dissipated and I slowly opened my eyes. No _ba_ trip, and my dreams were fairly nice. Good. The tent was bright with the light of day and I checked my watch. 8:51. Sighing, I sat up. Nico shifted beside me, groaning before sitting up and yawning.

"Morning," I said softly, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He smiled loosely, still sleep-drunk.

"Too bad," he murmured. "I was having a wonderful dream." Chuckling, I stood and went over to my box of clothes. I hadn't had time to make a proper dresser, and I didn't want to bother Kyle or Dee when they had enough to worry about with protecting the camp.

"I'm sure," I said, shrugging off my wrinkled icy green shirt and pulling out a black button-up. I changed into jeans and tucked the shirt into my pants, rolling up the sleeves to my elbows and grabbing an older jacket that I'd worn threadbare already.

"Hey," Nico said, catching my attention. I glanced at him just as he held up my armor vest. He wore dark jeans now, but was still shirtless. "Wear it." I looked down at my worn-out jacket, up at the vest, and smiled.

"Sounds good." Taking the vest, I pulled it on, wondering if I could make it look like a leather jacket. The moment it was on, I blinked in amazement to see it morph into a black suede jacket.

"...I want one," Nico said.

"It feels real," I exclaimed, fingering the material.

"Wow. And just think," he noted, "you have gauntlets, boots, shin guards, a war kilt, and a helmet. You're freaking lucky."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said. My watch beeped. "Nine. Come on; get dressed and let's talk with the others."

Orinda was right outside, hands on her hips.

"You're leaving?" she demanded, one slim brow raised. Her hair was slightly mussed and her lips, though pursed, were still noticeably swollen.

"You're caving?" I returned. She scowled at me.

"What Kohn and I do is none of your business," she said, crossing her arms.

"So you admit he's getting to you?" I asked innocently.

"Erasmus James Porter!" she snapped.

"When did you find out my middle name?" I asked, giving her a falsely annoyed look. Her eyes widened.

"That's seriously...? We took a bet..."

"Of course that's not my real middle name," I told her blandly. "Even this one doesn't know my real middle name." I gestured over my shoulder at Nico. "And as for leaving..." I sighed. "Yes, I'm leaving. For a couple of days. I'm going to need you and Kohn to run the camp while I'm gone. Seeing as you've done that quite a bit since I made the camp, I think you'll do fine. Work with Lore and Lindsey on defenses, see if Carter and Sadie can spare a couple of magicians to help out with that, and if Felix brings his penguin, make sure it has a pen, or else threaten to send it home. That's the only thing that boy responds to are threats, otherwise he lets the stupid thing roam, and that's the last thing we need when the camp is on high-alert."

"You and Nico?" she prompted.

"Nico's staying here to keep an eye on things," I answered. "And I... I am going to Helena."

"Hel- Wait, Helena, as in, Montana?" she asked, eyes widening. I nodded. "Why the hell...?"

"We got a message last night," Nico answered for me. "Somebody wants to meet Ras there. It's about..." He trailed off, glancing at me. I nodded approval. "...His dad."

"Hold it!" Orinda blurted. "Is he still alive?"

"No," I answered without hesitation. "He's dead. But Psycho may have answers to some of my questions."

"Psycho?"

"Oh, that's..." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Nico nicknamed the nameless note-sender."

"Try saying that ten times fast," Nico laughed. I snickered in agreement.

"So you're going to Montana to find out what happened to your father?" she clarified.

"And hopefully figure out who called the cops on me, and intends to kill Girtin."

"Cops? Kill Girtin?" Orinda's eyes were about the size of dinner plates now.

"Ah... Long story," I said. "Let Nico explain it if he wants; meanwhile, I have an Iris-route with my name on it." A tremor of fear for what I was going to do went through my spine, but I suppressed it and forced a smile on my lips. "I will see you two tomorrow. Day after, at the latest." Reaching over, I took Nico's hand and pulled it to my lips, feeling the ring against my mouth. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied softly. "Be safe... Please..."

"Likewise," I said.

§§§

He didn't walk me to the fountain, but I figured prolonging the goodbye would defeat the 'good' part. Orinda walked with me, and Kohn waited for us at the fountain with Lore, Kyle, and Gina, the only three remaining of my original group, given that Penelope had died years ago, along with Heron, and Teri-Lynn had died less than two years ago. I smiled when I saw them, remembering that, together with me, Orinda, and Kohn, someone had tagged us with a silly nickname: the Big Six, a play on the Big Three, which referred to Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

"So you really are leaving," Gina stated. I nodded.

"I am. But I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Lore asked.

"Montana, for a quick meeting."

"...Totally out of sync, but where'd you get the jacket?" Kyle asked, staring at it. I chuckled.

"My mother and your father put their heads together," I answered. "It's a gift. Think about it; you'll get it soon enough." Turning, I faced Kohn.

"What?" he asked, uninterested. "You expect a question from me?"

"Well it would fit," I noted. "And normally you're chock full of questions." He stared passively, blinking occasionally. I waited, a smirk already tugging at my lips.

"...Fine, I give," he muttered, looking away. "Why Montana?"

"I didn't choose," I answered, my satisfaction short-lived. "And before anyone asks, I won't be gone long. But I do need to get going soon."

"This one's on me," Gina said, waving her hand at the fountain. A dark spot sprouted in the rainbow, growing to become a portal. "Focus on where you want to go and you'll get there. When you're ready to come back, put your hand in the mist of a rainbow and call me. I'll bring you back."

"Oh, that reminds me," I said, snapping my fingers. "No Iris-messages. Not incoming, not outgoing." I glanced at Orinda. "Unless you haven't contacted Chiron or the Kanes yet."

"No," she answered. "I was going to do that first thing after you left."

"Alright, do that, then cut off all communications," I ordered. "For the next two days, Camp Crossover does not exist in any dimension or reality, got it?"

"Yes, sir," Gina and Lore answered simultaneously.

"What about my shipments?" Kyle asked nervously. "I've got two large orders of machines and scrap metal that are supposed to come in tomorrow!"

"Kyle, I think the mail can wait a day or two," Kohn said firmly. "Ras wouldn't shut down the camp without a reason."

"I just hope it's good enough," I whispered. Orinda glanced at me, but stayed quiet. "Alright, I'm off. Orinda, make the calls as soon as I'm gone. The longer you wait, the worse it could get. Lore, Kohn, work with the magicians to shore up the defenses and keep an eye out for mutant monsters that might be Greek/Egyptian mix. Gina, Kyle, keep an eye on the kids; unlike these guys..." I jerked my head at the other three "...I know you try to relate to them. It wouldn't surprise me if the extra cautions scare the younger ones."

"Don't worry about a thing, boss," Gina said, smiling. Her cheerful expression was strained, though.

"Yeah, we got it," Kyle added, somewhat oblivious to the tension. "We've been running the camp plenty with you gone half the time."

"I know." Nodding, I stepped toward the portal. As I focused on Helena, Montana, I prayed. "...Lord, please protect them..."

Buildings took form around me as the people faded away. I had only a moment to look around and see that I was in what appeared to be a downtown section of the city before trouble came.

"Hey! It's him!"

Well, so much for relaxing while I waited. Darting into an alley, I pulled the Mist around me and changed my jacket to a set of rags as I hunched in the corner.

"Where'd he go?"

"Call the police!"

"Search the alley; he's got to be here."

A group of men stopped at the mouth of the alley. I looked up, using the Mist to amplify my fear. The man at the front had a badge pinned to the front of his coat. Neighborhood watch.

"You," he called, pointing at me. "Did you see a tall blonde man come through here?" He strode over, looming over me. It was easy enough to cower and look terrified. I pointed a shaking hand to a lane between alleys. He ordered his men into the lane, telling them to find the rapist quickly, before he struck again.

When they were gone, I stood, looking around to be sure no one saw me, and hobbled out of the alley onto the street. No one gave me a second thought as I made my way slowly down the street.

§§§

As night fell and no contact came from Psycho, I looked for a place to stay. I found a motel—The Traveler's Inn—on the edge of town, pulled another quick-change in an alley not too far from the inn, and hurried inside, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the windowed door of the main office. I'd chosen to disguise my hair as short, coarse, and dull black. My distinctive sea-green eyes had been darkened to grass-green, and I'd added a scar just under my left eye. The jacket had gone back to leather, a biker's jacket now. My jeans were fine, but I had changed my hiking boots to work boots. As a last minute thought, I pulled a bit more Mist to add thick, scraggly stubble to my chin.

"Can I help you?" the plump, middle-aged women at the desk asked the moment I walked in.

"I need a room for the night," I said, lowering my voice to a gruff rumble that almost made me cough and adding a touch of a Southern accent.

"Just one night, sir?" she clarified, typing away at the computer in front of her.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded. "All goes well, I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon; won't need another night."

"Alright. Would you like smoking or non?"

"N-" I cut myself off. Why not? I hated the fumes, but anything that helped get the 'neighborhood watch' off my tail was good. "Smoking, please."

"Ok. Is there anyone else with you?"

"No ma'am, just me," I answered, glancing around the sparsely furnished lobby. An older man sat on one of the armchairs, reading a magazine.

"Alright, sir," the woman said, catching my attention. "We have two singles, smoking, available. One of them is on the first floor and the other is on the second. Which would you like?"

"First floor, please," I said, figuring if I got cornered, it'd be easier to jump out a first-story window than a second-story. She quoted a price and I took out a credit card I hadn't used in years, except to buy Nico's ring.

At the last second, I decided against it; whoever was out to get me had likely given the police my name, and no doubt my card would be watched like a hawk, seeing as it was the only thing cops could look into beyond eye-witnesses. I wasn't too worried about the latter, but the former could cause some trouble. So I exchanged the card for some cash, after making a show of being unable to find another card in my wallet.

"This one's old," I told the woman, who watched me curiously. "Had to cancel it and get a new one. Must've left that one at home. Good thing I carry a bit of cash at all times, huh?" She smiled politely and took the cash.

"Sign here please," she said, handing me the registry. I picked up the pen with my left hand.

Even being ambidextrous, my left hand tended to write a lot different than my right, and I usually used my right; if the cops did come by here, the woman would tell them the man she'd seen was the exact opposite of the one they were looking for.

"Percival Kendrick," she read when she took the book back.

"That's my name, ma'am," I nodded. "You can call me Percy." I hoped my namesake wouldn't mind.

§§§

The room was tiny, and reeked of cigarette smoke. I wrinkled my nose, but stepped inside and closed the door, locking it behind me. I opened both windows and turned the A/C on high to get the smell gone as much as possible. Then I dropped onto the bed.

"God, I really hope I'm doing the right thing," I murmured. "Please give me the wisdom I need to get through this alive, at least."

A full day of being on the run had exhausted me, but I forced myself up and slid to the floor, where I knelt, bracing my elbows on the edge of the bed.

"I have so much to be thankful for," I whispered, closing my eyes and tilting my head back. "I have a wonderful fiancée, great friends, a place to call home, and a mother that cares about me. I have food, clothes, even a roof over my head. I have Your protection, Your promise, and Your blessings. And yet... I crave something. I'm not content with my life as it is, God, I long for something I lost almost a decade ago. If it is Your will, please let me find out what happened to him; let me communicate with him, if possible. Beyond this, I'm content, happy even. I enjoy my life as it is with You at its center. This... thing, my desire to learn the fate of my earthly father... It keeps me from You, Lord. If nothing else, let me find out why my father died." Sighing softly, I opened my eyes again. "In Your precious and holy Name, amen." I crawled into the bed, kicking off my shoes and shrugging off my jacket. I fell asleep before I could undress any further.

§§§

My internal clock woke me at precisely 6:30 the next morning. After showering, I was glad I stored extra clothes in my 'Mistpack.' Deodorant was nice, too. I felt clean and fresh when I stepped out of my room at a quarter past seven. At the last moment before I walked into the office, I remembered my disguise and used it. The woman who had greeted me the night before sat behind the desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Percy," she greeted.

"Morning, ma'am," I nodded. "I'm checking out now, if you don't mind."

"Not a problem, young man," she said, smiling kindly.

"Hey, know a good place to take breakfast?" I asked.

"My sister-in-law, Jamie, owns a hole-in-the-wall diner a couple of blocks down; just tell her Nadine sent you and she'll give you a good discount."

"Thank you very much, Miss Nadine." Her smile broadened genuinely and she waved as I left.

I found Jamie's Diner three blocks away, nestled between two large shops filled with tourist gifts. Slipping in, I found a booth at the back, away from prying eyes and dropped into it.

"Hey, darling, what can I do ya for?" A pretty blonde woman of about thirty with a Southern accent thicker than mine stopped at my table, a notepad in hand and a quirky smile on her lips. Her name tag said 'JAMIE.'

"What do you suggest, ma'am?" I asked, not even bothering to pick up the menu. I gave her my full attention and returned a friendly smile.

"Well now, it's been a while since anyone asked my opinion," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "How much can you spare for a meal?"

"About thirty bucks, ma'am. Miss Nadine said this place had the best prices around, and I kinda need it," I said a bit sheepishly. She smiled brightly at the mention of her sister-in-law.

"Then how about an English muffin, some coffee and toast, and a slice of my homemade apple pie to finish?" she suggested.

"Sounds delicious, thank you," I nodded.

"I'll be right out with it," she chirped, heading to the back. When she was out of sight, I allowed myself to relax.

"I can do this," I whispered to myself. "Just a few more hours and I'll be back with Nico and the others." My watched beeped the hour. Eight o'clock. Checking it against the wall clock above the kitchen door, I found it a minute fast. I fixed it, and when I looked up, I noticed an older man sitting at a center table near the front. He had his back to me, but I was certain it was the same man who had been at the Traveler's Inn. Perhaps Nadine had suggested this place to him as well.

"Here ya are, sweetie," Jamie said, setting a plate in front of me. A large English muffin steamed pleasantly on the plate, larger than I thought it would be.

"My, my," I said, grinning. "Doesn't that just look absolutely mouthwatering!" I inhaled deeply. "Mm-mm! Reminds me of my Momma's home-cooked meals; thank you kindly, ma'am."

"Yer quite welcome, young man," she beamed. "I'll have your toast and coffee out in just a moment, and you can let me know when yer ready for that pie." Patting my shoulder, she went off to talk to the old man.

Folding my hands, I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks before all but devouring the food. It was delicious and filling, and I finished it quickly. The toast was a little on the brown side, but I ate it anyway, and the coffee was better than any I'd tasted in a long time. Jamie brought out my pie as I lingered over my coffee, and I asked for the check as well. She brought it out a moment later; I glanced at the amount, about twenty bucks, and caught her attention before she left again.

"Thanks again, ma'am," I said, handing her the money. "I hope it isn't too forward of me, but you've been a wonderful host and you deserve a good tip." Smiling, I pressed a ten into her hand. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Well I'll be," she breathed. "I haven't gotten that big a tip in... I can't even remember how long!" Glowing, she squeezed my hand. "You come back whenever you like, dear, and if you ever need anything, just ask." She started humming as she left and I couldn't help but smile; today was going better than I had hoped.

So, of course, Fate decided to have fun with me. Again.


	4. Chapter 4

If I have an internal monster compass, monsters must have an internal Erasmus compass. I swear it goes both ways.

When I finished my pie and coffee, I left the restaurant, sticking with my disguise, and whistled as I meandered down the street. The sun shone brightly down on me and I reveled in the warmth that chased away the light, chilly, early autumn breeze. It picked up a bit about the time I reached a park, making the browning leaves of the trees rustle pleasantly. Noon was approaching as I picked a bench and sat on it, hands in my pockets, and prepared to just wait; it'd be easier for Psycho to find me if I stayed relatively still.

The park was lively, filled with families and couples, and old men playing chess under a gazebo. A couple of pre-teen kids chased each other around with kites, trying to coax the things higher in the breeze. Not too far from me, a group of older kids, in their mid-teens by my guess, laughed and joked; students from the high school across the street hanging out during lunch. A dark-haired young man just younger than me called out to his girlfriend as she entered the park. She smiled and waved, hurrying over to greet him with a kiss. The sight made me long to see Nico again. I swallowed the ache in my throat and turned resolutely away.

My gaze fell on an old man who sat on a bench just down the path a ways. I recognized him from Traveler's Inn and Jamie's Diner and frowned. His weathered old face was turned down as he read a newspaper, yet I couldn't help but wonder if he were watching me. Since I'd come to Helena, I'd seen him three times now, and I wasn't so sure anymore that it was just coincidence.

Standing, I strode slowly over, trying not to look annoyed or suspicious. The old man glanced up as I neared and then returned to his paper.

"Sit if you like," he offered in a paper-thin voice that almost made me think he was about to keel over. Hesitantly, I lowered myself onto the opposite end of the bench.

"Are... you following me?" I asked, using the Southern accent that went with my disguise. The old man flipped a page.

"You can drop the accent, boy," he said calmly. "I know who you really are." Narrowing my gaze, I tensed, ready to run if he... What? Hobbled toward me? The worst he could do was call the police, and I'd be long gone before they arrived. Unless he'd already called them. Joy.

"Who are you?" I demanded, not bothering with the accent this time.

"You're here to find out about your father, aren't you?" he asked, completely ignoring my question as he shifted his attention to the opposite page. My gut fluttered heavily and I swallowed, suddenly nervous.

"Y-you sent the note?" I asked.

"No, but I know who did," came his soft reply. Sighing, he set down his paper and looked up at me, his startlingly gold eyes boring into me as though to scour my soul. "Listen, Porter; you have no business here. It's a trap and you know it."

"But..!" I began.

"No buts about it," he said firmly. "Setne sent that note to you, and he's probably already at Camp Crossover now. Don't let him use your weaknesses against you." The old man stood, looking frail and weak. I jumped up, reaching to assist him, but he waved me off. "I'm a god, Erasmus; this form was just so I could watch without raising suspicion. Now go, before Setne captures the one you love." He started to fade out.

"Wait!" I blurted. "I don't even know who you are!" Too late. Why am I always too late? Gritting my teeth, I turned to look for a water fountain or something.

_Whoa,_ Heka said, completely shocking me. I might have hit the sky. _What a thing to wake up to..._

"Damn it, Heka!" I growled sharply, putting one hand to my chest. "I'm on edge enough as it is without you suddenly waking up and scaring the living daylights out of me!"

_Hey, look!_ he smirked. _I startled the Great Stoic Erasmus!_

"Ha ha, very funny," I scowled, searching for some way to make a rainbow. "You and Nico both... I can be surprised; just not easily."

_Oh, Nico thinks so too? Ha! I'm justified!_

"Shut up," I scoffed, "before someone thinks I've snapped and puts me in the loony bin."

_You could always respond in your head instead of out loud,_ he pointed out derisively. I gave him a mental shove, noticing a beautiful fountain in the middle of the park a moment later, just as he protested. _You're a jerk. Just for that, I'm not telling you who that was._

That stopped me short.

"You know who that god was?" I asked.

_Yes, but I'm not telling._

"Oh, stop being such a child!" I snapped. He didn't answer. "Fine; whatever." Rolling my eyes in aggravation, I hurried to the fountain, only barely able to keep from running.

Just as I was about to reach it, I heard a loud screeching howl. Whirling, I saw two large creatures bound into the park, sending people screaming in every direction. God knows what they saw; I got to see their lovely mugs in hideous detail. They honestly looked like Hollywood's version of werewolves, but with their faces smashed in, their noses squashed up like pit bulls, their teeth jutting out awkwardly and keeping them from fully closing their mouths, which resulted in huge globs of saliva dripping from their fangs as they sniffed the air. Their tiny little eyes glittered with malice as they searched me out, their huge canine ears swiveling back and forth, taking in the sounds of panic they were causing. Muscles bunched in their legs as they lunged further into the park, still sniffing.

"...This day could not get any better," I muttered sarcastically, tilting my head to the left. The bodies of the two creatures faded, and I saw their pulsing red and grey _ka_s. Frowning, I prodded at them, trying to connect. For once, I couldn't. "The hell?"

_They aren't like most monsters you've connected to,_ Heka warned, engaging himself. _These things are half-and-half, like you; someone mixed lycanthropes with the undead using ancient Egyptian magic, even older than me._

"And I get to fight them head-on?" I sighed, annoyed.

_Yeah; you'd better be careful,_ he said. _Remember the lycanthropes you fought seven years ago? These guys are even smarter._ Yeah, this day couldn't get any better.

"Joy," I growled, pulling my sword from my Mistpack and buttoning up my jacket. "I really hope this thing works, Mother." As I rolled my shoulders, loosening up for the battle to come, the creatures turned, finally scenting me, and howled again, making me wince. "Come on, you beasts! Your little war cries don't scare me!" In answer, one of the creatures lunged toward me, jaws open to attack. I rolled neatly to one side, leaping to my feet just in time to block the creature's claws, which collided with my blade with a nasty sounding clang. I pulled away, yanking my sword out of its claws, where it had embedded itself, making the beast howl in pain.

My compass pinged and I whirled just as the other creature slashed at me. I met it with my sword, grunting as the force of its swipe threw me to the side. I rolled until I slammed into something, biting back a shout at the pain that shot up my back. Grimacing, I pushed to my feet, using the tree for balance. But I had no time to recover; the first creature snapped at me and I dodged to the side as it clamped down on the tree. Unfortunately, they must have anticipated my actions; the second creature pounced on me, knocking me to the ground and sending my sword skidding across the sidewalk. There went my weapon. Well, my physical one.

Concentrating, I slammed a wall of magic against the side of the creature's head, almost throwing it off. Using that bit of magic drained some of my reserve and I saw stars for a moment. Luckily, I recovered before the creature pinning me did, and I rolled, unbalancing it enough to scramble out from under it.

_LOOK OUT!_ Heka's warning was perfectly timed and I dodged the other creature's paw as it slammed down where I'd just been.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly.

_I told you, these things are smarter than the other ones,_ he said stridently. _You can't handle two on your own; retreat, now, while you have the chance._ Snatching up my sword, I looked toward the fountain. Just my luck...

"What chance?" I scoffed, gripping the blade. The creatures were between me and the fountain. Something warm trickled into my eye and I flinched, blinking it away. Reaching up, I swiped at it. My hand came away red. "Oh, that's just great..."

_Incoming!_ Heka snapped. I looked up, raising my blade, but I was too slow; the creature's claws dug into my left shoulder, scraping across my chest before I lurched backward, out of its reach. My compass pinged and I ducked instinctively, the other creature's jaws snapping shut above me. Shouting, I swung my sword up, arcing it in a straight path for the beast's neck. Yelping, the creature scrambled away, my sword slicing through empty air. Lunging at the other creature, I slashed at its midriff. Like its companion, the monster wasn't expecting me to attack, and it bounded to the side, dodging and leaving me with a clear path to the fountain. I took it.

The fountain sprayed water from five spouts around the edge of the pool in towards the center, where an elegant post stood, a basin at the top in which a single carved flower sat, water spraying out of it to land in the basin before pouring out into the pool. The early afternoon sun shone down from behind me, making a rainbow in the mist. I reached for the arch of colors, feeling relief flood me.

Abruptly, the rainbow faded out and I whipped around, looking up at the cloud in front of the sun.

"No!" I cried, turning my gaze to the creatures stalking toward me.

_Fight them,_ Heka said tersely. _I'll keep an eye on the sun._ I almost asked him how he planned to do that when he couldn't see anything except what I saw, but I never got the chance; the creatures both lunged at the same time, one on all fours to snap at my legs, the other leaping up and attacking with claws. I threw myself backward, into the pool, slipping and stumbling back into the post in the middle of the fountain. I winced, but the creatures allowed me no time to recover; one of them jumped forward, catching me as I scrambled to get away. The water dragged me down and made it easier for the creature to pin me against the post. The other one slashed at me before I could switch my sword to me free hand and its claws seared long, ragged cuts into my leg. I cried out and jabbed at the one pinning me. It lurched backward to avoid getting stabbed, but I still managed to catch it in the center of its chest. Howling, it puffed into sand and gold both.

"Finally," I panted, staggering to one side and falling against the edge of the pool.

_Ras! The sun!_ I looked up to see the cloud moving away. I started to turn and look for a rainbow, but my compass pinged again and I shoved away from the edge of the pool, slamming into the post again as the remaining creature landed where I'd just been and yowled in rage, whirling to slash at me. I ducked, slipping and falling under the water for a moment before jumping up, choking on the water I'd inhaled. The creature's jaws bore down on me and I howled in agony as they fastened on my neck and shoulder. Gritting my teeth, I pounded the hilt of my sword against the creature's head again and again until it was forced to let go, yelping.

Using the moment of its distraction, I searched frantically for a rainbow. I spotted it and glanced back at the creature just as it looked up at me. It seemed to know exactly was I was going to do and snarled in anger. We lunged simultaneously, it for me and me for the rainbow. I cried out as its claws buried deep in my hip, pulling me up short. Stretching out, my fingertips just touched the mist of the rainbow.

"Gina!" I begged. "Bring me home!" Relief washed over me as the fountain faded, the portal expanding to fill my view. The camp came into sight and I collapsed to the ground beside the fountain I was so familiar with.

A woman's scream chased away the fog threatening to take over my consciousness and I looked up. Gina tripped and fell on her backside, scrambling back. Her face was white as a sheet and when I turned over, I saw why; the creature had come with me. Standing at its full height, it stood at least seven feet tall. Tilting its head back, it howled like a wolf at night.

"Shit!" I spat, jumping to my feet. I spotted Orinda and Kohn beyond it, racing toward us with Nico hot on their heels. I gestured frantically for them to stop. "No! Protect the kids! Get Kyle to open the gate; I'll lead it out!" They hesitated and the creature chose that moment to lunge for Gina. I shot forward, dashing between them and putting my sword up. The creature's paw met the blade and split open, spraying blood all over me as it reeled back, yowling in pain.

"Erasmus!" Nico screamed.

"Get Gina out of here!" I ordered him sharply. "Now!" Slashing at the creature, I caught its attention, which had turned to Nico for a moment. The son of Hades hesitated, terrified for me. "Damn it, Nico; save Gina! Hey, creep; this way!" Waving my arms to keep the creature's attention, I bounded toward the gate. The creature followed me. Good.

"Porter!" Kohn shouted from near the gate. "Bring it this way!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" I snapped, doubling my speed. The creature kept up.

"Ras, duck!" I stumbled and threw myself to the ground. Orinda leapt over me and slashed her sword across the creature's arm. It howled in outrage, cupping the wound, and growled at her, backing up a few steps. I pushed myself up, panting.

"How the hell is it I spend a good twenty minutes trying not to get killed, and it takes one look at you and steps back?" Orinda snorted a laugh.

"I'm a daughter of Ares, Ras," she said, eying the creature. "Remember that?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that would have something to do with it," I huffed, catching my breath in the moment of respite. The creature shifted restlessly, looking for a way in. Kohn stepped up beside me.

"Keep its attention this way," he said softly, not looking away from the creature. "Nico's making sure Gina's alright and then he's going to sneak up behind it." Ice nibbled my gut.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, wincing as I shifted. "This thing is a lot smarter than normal lycanthropes."

"Then it's even more important that we keep its attention here," Kohn said through gritted teeth. A flare of interest sparked in his gaze, though, which annoyed me.

"If Nico gets hurt..."

"Relax, Ras," Orinda cut in. "We'll make sure nothing happens to him."

"Good," I nodded. Without warning, I shot forward, jabbing at the creature.

"RAS!" Orinda jumped to my aid as the creature dodged to the side and swiped at me. Her sword came up, clashing with the creature's claws. "Watch it, moron!"

"He said keep its attention here," I said snippily. "That's what I'm doing!" Backing toward the gate, I pulled my shield out of the Mistpack and clanged my sword against it. "Hey! Over here!" The creature paced, wanting desperately to attack me, but not quite daring to. Orinda slashed at it, and I swear its eyes lit up gleefully; anticipating her attack, it swatted her aside and lunged for me.

"Orinda!" Kohn bellowed, taking his gaze off the creature and leaving me one-on-one with it again. I tried to lunge backward, but tripped and fell, the creature landing on top of me.

"Not again!" I choked, shoving at it with my shield. It wrenched the shield off my arm and threw it to the side before looking down at me triumphantly. I saw an intelligence in its beady black eyes that sent shivers up my spine. With my sword arm pinned and my wounded arm not responding properly, I knew I was dead. Again.

"Erasmus!" The creature whirled just as Nico leapt up. There was no way the creature could avoid this attack; it spun back and clamped its jaws down on my neck and shoulder, right where it had done the same just moments ago. I screamed just as it vanished into shadows. Nico's Stygian blade hovered a few inches above my heart.

"Ras!" Orinda and Kohn ran up at the same time that Nico dropped his sword to one side and cupped my face.

"Erasmus, talk to me," he demanded fearfully. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I tried to respond but my lips wouldn't move. My body wouldn't move; nothing responded.

_...Uh-oh._ That didn't sound good.

_What?_ I asked Heka.

_Um... I don't think you want to know,_ he answered.

_What is it? Tell me._ Fear clenched at my gut.

_...It took over your body..._

Well, he was right about one thing; I didn't want to know that. I watched in growing horror, feeling like a ghost, as my hand lifted of its own accord and brushed Nico's cheek.

"Y-yeah, I just... I did get a little hurt..." The words came from my throat, but they weren't mine.

"It's okay," Nico said, his voice breaking. "Don't worry; we'll get you help." He looked up at Orinda. "Get Bella, quickly!" She nodded and grabbed Kohn's wrist, dragging him off to find Bella.

_No, Nico, don't listen!_ I tried to shout. _It's not me!_

"Everything will be fine, I promise," Nico said, gently pulling me to my feet.

"I h-hope so," my voice said, coughing. "I have s-so much to tell you..."

_Don't listen to him, Nico!_ I cried, panicking. _Remember the secret! Remember what I'm supposed to do!_ But Nico couldn't hear me; he supported my body as he led me to Bella's medical tent. She and Angela met us and helped Nico settle me onto a cot. Then Bella touched my forehead. My body passed out, but somehow, I could still see everything that was happening.

"How bad is it?" Nico asked worriedly, gripping my hand tightly.

_Come on, Bella,_ I said, hoping she could see that someone was possessing me. _Please, see the difference!_

"...He'll be fine," Bella said after a moment. "Only the external injuries we can see on his leg, hip, neck and shoulder. Even the cut above his eye isn't that bad." She paused and touched my left shoulder. "I don't know how, but he's only got a bit of bruising right here..." she traced the path the creature's claws had taken across my shoulder and chest "...when he should have a rather nasty wound."

"His jacket," Nico explained. "It's Heavenly Steel, like his sword. Hecate gave it to him." Bella nodded in understanding.

"Beyond these other three wounds, he's just got a bunch of bruises and scrapes," she said. "I'll take care of them tonight and he should be back on his feet by morning." Nico sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Bella."

_No!_ I shouted, knowing it was futile; my gut sank. _No. Nico..._

§§§

Nico left for only a few minutes to eat before returning to my side, and he brought a plate and goblet for Bella, who thanked him and ate while she worked.

As night fell, sounds of shouting and laughter reached us from outside, where the demigods and magicians were playing Hide-and-Seek/Tag in the dark. My body stirred, but Bella put it back to sleep while she carefully mended the claw marks on my leg. I tried to take back control of my body, but the forced sleep made it all the harder.

Bella worked through the night, as she often did—she rarely got much sleep, from what I knew, and when she did it was because Jade Kingsley, the only child of Hypnos now in the camp, charmed her to sleep. The eighteen-year-old daughter of Hypnos visited once but left when she saw who Bella was treating.

Morning came quickly, bringing Kohn and Orinda almost before the sun rose. They stood behind Nico and all three waited impatiently for Bella to let me wake up. She did one final check to be sure my wounds were healing properly, and then she touched my forehead, waking me... my body up.

Unbidden, I sat up, yawning and stretching.

"Goodness," my voice muttered as my hand rubbed my eye. "I think sleep was just what I needed."

_Stop it!_ I snapped at the creature controlling me. _Give me back my body!_

"How are you doing?" Nico asked. A glint of relief sparked in his dark eyes, but his expression remained neutral, tense. My body shifted forward and my hand went to his cheek. Leaning forward, the creature controlling me kissed his forehead.

"Much better now that I'm with you," my voice said. Immediately, and to everyone's utter shock, Nico slammed his fist into my jaw; my head jerked to the side and my body stumbled back, hitting the cot and making it scrape across the ground.

"Nico, what the hell is wrong with you?" Orinda demanded, starting forward. Nico shoved her into Kohn and drew his sword, making Bella scream and scramble for safety behind a medicine cabinet Kyle had made for her.

"You're not Erasmus," he snarled at me, jabbing his sword at my neck and pricking the skin of my throat. Inside, I cheered; he remembered. "What have you done with him?" A cold sneer curved my lips upward.

"Well, at least you're not as stupid as the rest of this idiotic camp," my voice scoffed. "But you might want to point that blade of yours in another direction; I don't think you want to hurt your lover." Nico pressed the tip of his sword harder against the tender skin just below my jaw.

"Where is he?" he demanded icily.

"He's right here," my voice snapped cruelly, a mocking smirk on my lips. "I'm controlling him." He hesitated, uncertainty flashing in his gaze and a harsh laugh bubbled up my throat. "That's right... Be careful; if you hurt me, you hurt him, too."

"What are you?" Orinda asked, glaring at me. She and Kohn had recovered and both stood beside Nico. Bella stayed behind the medicine cabinet.

"You're that creature, aren't you?" Kohn noted, his gaze narrowed. "The one that followed Porter into camp."

"Oh look! Another semi-smart one!" my voice chuckled coarsely. "I am called a skull-lycan. I'm smarter, faster, stronger, and more flexible than those silly little Greek wannabes. I can last for years without nourishment. I can chase my prey for months without growing weary. I can adapt to any situation faster than even you can, son of Athena." Kohn started forward, but Orinda caught and held him back.

"Don't; he's baiting you," she hissed. An unearthly howl of anger ripped from my throat.

"I am female!" the creature snarled with my voice. The statement set everyone back, even me. Nico lowered his sword a bit, resting it against my collarbone.

"Then why'd you choose Erasmus?" he asked sharply. "Why a man? And how'd you get control of him anyway?"

"You think I wanted to be inside a man?" the creature growled. "I had no choice! My master demanded it. And even if he hadn't, there wasn't time for me to invade anyone else." The Stygian iron chilled my jaw again.

"Who's your master?" he demanded.

"I'll die before I say," the creature responded harshly. "And you can't kill me without killing your precious Erasmus." Nico paused for only a moment, and then he sheathed his blade, stepped forward, and walloped me hard. My skull connected with the metal frame of the cot, knocking my body out. I slumped and Nico caught me before I hit the ground.

"Sorry, Ras," he murmured, gently kissing the part of my jaw he'd just hit. "McHale, Robertson, help me lock him up; until we figure out how to get her out of him, we can't let him roam." The wide-eyed pair closed their mouths and came to assist.

_Thank you, Nico,_ I said, _for not believing her._

_Damn..._ an unfamiliar, feminine voice scowled. _He really cares for you._

_It's the creature,_ Heka told me, a touch of rage in his strained voice.

_What do you want?_ I demanded of her. She growled at me.

_Nothing,_ she snapped. _Nothing you can give me._

_You don't know that,_ I replied icily. _You want something, I want my body back. I'm sure we can work out some sort of deal._ She growled again, but didn't reply.

_Leave her,_ Heka sneered. _She's an abomination._ I stayed quiet, suddenly feeling sorry for her; I knew how it felt to be called an abomination, a freak. I sympathized with her. Now I just had to figure out how to turn sympathy into compassion.

_God, help me._


	5. Chapter 5

I never realized how difficult it could be housing three people in the same body, despite knowing how hard it was to house just two. Of course, it helps that I wasn't stuck there the whole time.

Nico, Orinda and Kohn handcuffed me to a stake pounded through the floor of my tent and set Lilianna to watch me, warning her not to listen to anything I said, in case it was the creature talking. My body didn't regain consciousness until nearly noon. When it did, the creature and I vied for control; I lost.

"Lilianna?" the creature said with my voice. "What happened? Where...?" She cut off as the handcuffs stopped her from moving. "What the...?"

"Young master?" Lilianna said hesitantly.

_No! Lilianna, don't listen to her!_ I screamed. Of course, the empousa couldn't hear me.

"I... Why am I handcuffed to a stake?" the creature asked, her evident confusion extremely convincing. "What happened to me?"

"W-what's the last thing you remember?" Lilianna asked, still wary.

"Um... The fountain... I came back," the creature answered. "Gina brought me back, and... The monster followed me. I-it must have grabbed my leg or something..."

"Anything else?"

"Y-yeah... We fought it, didn't we? Nico killed it," the creature said, looking around. "But... how did I get here?" She yanked on the handcuffs. "Could you un-cuff me, please? I have to talk to Nico and the others about what happened in Helena."

_Don't do it, Lilianna!_ I cried desperately.

_Shut up!_ the creature snarled at me. I ignored her and fought for control of my body again. For a moment, I had the barest hint of control.

"Don't listen to me, Lilianna," I said breathlessly. "Don't undo the cuffs; it's not m-" Before I could say anything else, the skull-lycan wrested back control of my body.

"Good lord, did the monster possess me?" she asked worriedly, trying to salvage her loss. But it was too late; Lilianna glared at me and moved to the other side of the tent. "Please, Lilianna, let me go!"

"...You're not the young master," the empousa said coldly. "Don't talk to me like you are, filth." Yeesh. I knew empousai could be harsh, but I hadn't heard one insult someone in a long time.

"Damn you, Erasmus," the creature growled. "I almost had her."

_Why are you doing this?_ I asked. _Please, just give my body back._

_And go where?_ she snapped. _Your lover killed my body, remember?_

_I'll find you a new body,_ I promised. _Just let me in control again._

_...I spent months desperate to be wanted,_ she said mournfully. Her sudden change of tact made me curious. _I was created for one purpose and one purpose only: to find you, invade the body of someone close to you, or invade someone else and work my way into your trust, so that I could open the camp to my master without fear of discovery. My batch-mates and I were raised on hatred toward you. Why would you find me a new body when my only purpose is to ruin you?_ I thought about that for a long time. Heka, though he said nothing, listened intently for my answer. The creature did, too; she was confused and cautious, so I'd have to be careful with my words, or she'd close herself off and my chances of gaining control again would be next to nothing.

_Do you know what a Christian is?_ I asked slowly. Heka snorted, obviously thinking I'd chosen the worst possible path. I mentally shoved him. He bristled, but didn't protest.

_A religious believer,_ she scoffed. _Don't tell me you're going to give me that dogmatic speech about 'God wants me to be kind to my enemies...'_ The derisive tone in her voice told me Heka was probably right.

_I was actually going to say, in ancient times, people hated Christ-_ I began.

_Save it, churchie,_ she snapped. _I'm not interested in whatever little Christian speech you thought up for me._ Sighing, I retreated. This was definitely going to be harder than I hoped.

Hidden away in the back of my mind, I dozed, finally understanding how Heka did his weird disappearing thing.

Interestingly enough, my _ba_ decided to take a little trip, the first one in about five years—unlike most magicians, my _ba_ usually stuck to my body at night. The same sort of thing went for my dreams; whereas most demigods dreamt about other people and places, my dreams were only scattered fragments of people or places I barely knew, or even didn't know. It intrigued me to see my body from above as my _ba_ floated away from it, up through the ceiling of my tent, and out of the camp.

I forgot about the chicken body. Grimacing, I made a mental note to ask Sadie or Zia how to change what my _ba_ looked like. I flew across the ocean as a man-headed chicken to the Mediterranean, which I only recognized from maps of the world that I'd seen in history class. As I neared what had to be Egypt, if my memory served me right, I made up my mind to come here in person first chance I got, maybe on my honeymoon with Nico or something.

My _ba_ dropped through the ground and stopped in an enormous underground hallway. Large pillars lined the hall, and glowing images, like intangible tapestries, flickered between them. I stared in awe, but didn't really register anything before someone came into the hall, drawing my attention to a throne on a dais near me. The newcomer entered through a door off to one side and came over to sit on the steps of the dais not more than two steps from me. A familiar leopard skin wrapped around his shoulders told me who it was. Amos Kane's hair was braided with burnt orange stones to match the deep, flaming gold suit he wore. Behind his orange-tinted glasses, his brow was furrowed and his lips were turned down in frustration. Tenting his fingers in front of him, he stared at the carpet leading up to the dais, lost in thought.

A young man in an old-fashioned, Egyptian-style robe that offset his short, purple-tipped, spiked hair rushed into the hall, panting. Amos looked up expectantly.

"Setne was just spotted in the Twenty-First Nome!" the young man huffed. "He shook off pursuit, but he was last seen heading toward the Brooklyn House!" Amos shot to his feet.

"What?" he blurted, a hint of terror undercutting his anger. "Get word to Carter and tell my brother and Osiris to be ready for us. Gather as many of the magicians that are ready as you can, and have everyone meet me on the surface. This is the last time we let that man slip through our fingers!" The young man bowed quickly and ran from the hall. Amos stared after him, determination hardening his features. "We've got you now, Setne."

I saw nothing else there; my _ba_ floated up through the ground again and zipped across the Mediterranean to a little town in the middle of Spain. I ended up in a tiny, dark room lit only by a single candle that cast long shadows across the wall. A tall, black-skinned man with a bald head and a single gold hoop in one ear stood in front of the candle, which rested on a thin pedestal in the middle of the room. The man's eyes opened and I suppressed a gasp as he looked up at the farthest corner of the room, where another man stood in the shadows. The black man's eyes were an unnerving shade of gray, and they glinted like silver in the light of the candle.

"It is done," he rumbled in a deep, rich voice. His accent was African, I thought, but I couldn't be sure. "The Per Ankh is on the move, and they will arrive in New York before sundown Eastern Standard Time."

"Good," the shadowed man rasped, his voice low and intentionally hissed. "With the ensuing confusion and chaos, the Kanes will call for all their magicians to return. As they leave the camp, my pet will open a way for us to enter. Get ready to go, Simon; we leave shortly."

"Yes, sir," the black man answered, dipping his head in deference. As Simon stepped past me, he paused, cocking his head and looking directly at me. I held my breath, hoping he didn't actually see me.

"What is it, Simon?" the shadowed man asked, aggravated.

"...Nothing, sir," Simon replied. "I felt a chill, is all."

"Then go; there is much to be done before tonight." A shiver ran up my spine as Simon's gaze narrowed in my direction, but he pursed his lips and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, my _ba_ soared up, out of the room and back across the ocean.

_Where've you been?_ Heka asked the moment I returned to my body. I sensed the creature tuning in, also interested.

_Who's your master?_ I asked her, ignoring Heka for a moment, much to his annoyance.

_...Why?_ she asked warily.

_Does he have a servant or a slave or someone just working for him called Simon?_ Triumph; she twitched in surprise.

_N-no,_ she said quickly.

_Too late,_ I countered. _He's on his way. Heka, can you contact Anubis from here?_

_Of course I can,_ he huffed. _What do you think I am, a minor god?_ I waited for a moment and was reward as he did the mental equivalent of a facepalm. _Don't answer that... Why?_

_Do it,_ I told him. _Let him know that Amos is bringing the Per Ankh, and have him or Walt tell Carter not to call back the magicians. Whoever Simon's boss is plans on uses the chaos to sneak into the camp._

_...Done,_ Heka said a moment later. _Anything else you want me to do? Maybe call for pizza?_ His sarcasm wasn't lost on me, but I ignored him again and focused on the creature controlling my body.

_Please, give me back control,_ I asked her. _I have to protect my camp._

_I'm here to destroy your camp,_ she sulked. _Why would I help you protect it?_

_Because you need a new body,_ I said. She bristled.

_Are you blackmailing me?_ she exacted, a warning note in her voice.

_No, I'm attempting to bribe you,_ I corrected. _There's a difference._ She stayed quiet for a long time, considering my offer.

Nico entered the tent a few minutes later, plate in one hand, goblet in the other. Lilianna stood respectfully and the skull-lycan looked up insipidly.

"You can go, Lilianna," he said, nodding to her. "I'll watch him for a bit." The empousa hesitated, uncertain. He smiled encouragingly. "Go on. I want to talk to him about something anyway." She still hesitated, but this time nodded reluctantly and left, closing the tent flap behind her. Striding across the tent, Nico crouched beside me and eyed me with an almost indifferent gaze. The creature bristled again and she clenched my fists.

"What do you want, son of Hades?" she scowled.

"I want Erasmus back," he answered simply. "But you're not going to do that, are you?"

"Look, even if I wanted to—which I don't, by the way—I couldn't," she snapped. "You sort of killed my body, remember?" Nico watched me impassively for a moment.

"Is he still in there?" he asked. She sneered at him.

"Wouldn't you like to know." In the space of a breath, Nico's ice-cold blade pressed against my throat, the plate clattering to the ground.

"Yes, I would," he said, through clenched teeth. "If he isn't, I can kill you without hesitation, regardless of your appearance. If he is, then your life is spared. For now." The skull-lycan narrowed my gaze at him.

"...He's here. For now." She mimicked his threatening tone.

"Too bad," Nico said, pulling away and sheathing his sword. "I was looking forward to killing you." Picking up the plate, he dusted it off and set it on my bed, along with the goblet. "Let me talk to him."

"No," she responded instantly. "The moment I let him take over, I won't be able to control him anymore."

"Fine by me," Nico said coldly. "You don't belong here anyway. Let me talk to him." I felt a tremor of sadness and sympathy for the skull-lycan; seven years ago, I'd been in a similar position.

_...Let me,_ I told her.

_"No!"_ she snapped at both of us.

_Please,_ I begged. _I'll give you back control if you just let me talk to him._ She paused, startled by my offer.

"Fine," Nico growled. "If you won't let me talk to him, I won't give you food. I don't care if you can't starve; eventually his body will start to deteriorate and you'll either have to give him up or die with him. As much as I despise killing him, I'll still be able to see him in the Underworld." He stood and reached for the plate and goblet.

_...Please,_ I said again, desperate longing in my voice. _I swear, by everything I hold dear, I'll give you back control if you just let me talk to him._ The skull-lycan considered it for a moment. Nico started for the door.

"Wait," she said softly. He stopped and looked back.

_You... swear?_ she asked me. I envisioned placing my hand on the Bible.

_I swear, with God as my witness, even by the River Styx, I will give you back control before evening,_ I said. She hesitated only a moment.

"You have until sunset," she told Nico. "Enjoy it while it lasts." With a gentle snap, I was back in control of my body.

"Nico," I breathed, reveling in the sensation of my own vocal chords.

"Ras?" he whispered, hope in his voice.

"Yeah," I answered. "She let me take over with the promise that I'll give her back control tonight." He clenched his jaw and looked down.

"Why did you promise her?" he asked, angry and frustrated. "Don't do it, Ras, please." He looked up at me, pleading. I lowered my eyes.

"I swore on the River Styx, Nico," I said. "That, you should understand. And even if I hadn't..." I met his gaze. "...I also swore with God as my witness." Rage filled his gaze and he threw the goblet at me as hard as he could. It just missed my shoulder, even though I hadn't moved but to flinch. Shouting in outrage, he chucked the plate as well, and that one hit me square in the chest. I winced but made no move of retaliation.

"Damn you and your morality!" he bellowed. "You moron! She's using you, and you're letting her!" In moments, he was right in front of me. I started to raise my hands to catch his, but the handcuffs stopped them and he grabbed the front of my jacket, lifting me a bit. "What the hell are you doing, Erasmus?" I stared placidly straight into his infuriated glare.

"What the hell was I doing seven years ago when I saved Kohn's life?" I returned gently. Scowling, he dropped me.

"This isn't the same," he growled. "He was one of us; _she_ isn't!"

"Isn't she?" I asked. "What about Lilianna, Enova, and Arsine? What about Doris? What about Clarina; is she one of us?" Nico's features twisted in frustration.

"Stop it, Erasmus," he hissed. "The empousai are servants of your mother. This _monster_ isn't!" I felt the skull-lycan flinch inside me and pity dug at my heart.

"No, she isn't," I agreed, making her flinch again. "But I relate to her more than I ever did Clarina and the others." She jumped, startled by my statement, which also made Nico's jaw drop. Heka sputtered something unintelligible, but I ignored him yet again.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nico demanded, a scowl on his lips. I sighed.

"How long have we been together?" I asked.

"What? That has nothing to do w- Don't change the subject!" he snapped.

"How long have we been together?" I asked again. He glared at me, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"...Seven years, officially," he answered grudgingly.

"Add the few months before that, and we've known each other for almost seven and a half years," I agreed. "What did you spend those first few months convincing me of?" His glare faded, replaced by confusion. He took a step back.

"...That... you aren't a freak," he replied slowly. "What does that have to do with...?"

"What did people keep telling me that made that hard for you?" I continued, cutting him off. He frowned. I waited a moment, and then added, "Hint, the lobster demon is probably the only one you remember." His frown deepened.

"...That you were a bridge, you were unnatural, that you shouldn't exist," he answered, not seeing where I was going with this.

"Mm-hmm," I nodded. "And he said something else; do you remember?"

"He said you didn't..." Nico paused, finally seeing my point. "He said you didn't belong." Shame touched his features and he looked away. I reached out to him, but the handcuffs stopped me. Using a bit of magic, I unlocked them and stood, touching his arm.

"Nico, we're so similar, me and her," I said gently. "I understand her, probably better than anyone or anything else in existence. Serapis himself would come the closest, but I'll bet he's too full of himself to care about a skull-lycan." Nico snorted in dispassionate amusement, lifting his hand to mine.

"...I'm sorry I threw things at you," he said softly.

"Don't apologize just yet," I told him. He looked up, confused. "What I'm about to ask is probably going to make you hit me straight out... I want you to see about getting her a new body." His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. At the same time, the skull-lycan squeaked in shock.

_"You WHAT?"_ Nico and Heka demanded simultaneously.

"Hear me out," I said quickly, raising my hands. "She's not as bad as you think."

_Yeah, right,_ Heka snorted.

"She attacked you and took over your body!" Nico exclaimed, overlapping Heka. The multitude of voices was starting to grate on my nerves.

"She was raised on hatred toward me," I argued. "She never once got a chance to decide for herself whether or not I was the enemy. Until now. I want to give her a chance to change her mind, to stop obeying a master that's more than likely going to end up just throwing her out when he has no further use for her. I want to give her the same opportunity I gave Clarina and the other empousai."

"You," Nico said, jabbing a finger into my chest, "have gone stark raving mad."

"Close enough," I conceded. "But seeing as _you_'re the one that killed her body, I think it's only fair you get her a new one." He was shaking his head vehemently long before I finished.

"Uh-uh. No way," he said firmly. "I will _not_ help her. And nothing you say is going to change that." I sighed again, pressing my fingertips to my temples.

"Nico..."

"Nah-ah; don't 'Nico' me," he cut in. "Just because I love you doesn't mean I'm going to agree with you on everything." I threw my hands up in frustration.

"Oh, so _now_ you start contradicting me," I muttered. "Funny how you wait seven years to argue with me; I almost thought we'd be old and gray before you decided it was time to oppose me." His dark eyes flashed, sending a wave of unexpected heat through me.

"You are way too full of yourself," he snorted.

"And you are way too attractive when you're angry," I said, and immediately wished my brain-to-mouth filter hadn't chosen that moment to shut off. Slapping my palm to my forehead, I sighed. "And this is what happens when you spend seven years with a god inside your head that can hear every single damn thing you think." Nico gave me an amused look, a light smirk on his lips.

"No please, go on," he bid, crossing his arms. "For once I actually get to hear what you're thinking, not just what you want me to think you're thinking." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Did that make sense even in your head?" I teased.

"Of course it did!" he snorted, trying not to laugh. "Just because you're too slow to get it..."

"I'm not slow!" I protested, biting back a smile. "I purposely avoid the obvious."

"Obviously," Nico smirked, uncrossing his arms and taking my hands with a sigh. "Are we really going to spend what little time we have bickering?" I pulled his arms up around my neck and slid my hands down them to his shoulders and then further down to his hips.

"I'd rather not," I answered. "I'm sure we can come up with some better way to spend the time we have." He stepped into me as I spoke and leaned closer.

"Mm, I agree," he murmured, and pressed his mouth to mine. I closed my eyes and let bliss consume me.

_Gods, could this scene be any more gag-inducing?_ Heka scoffed.

_Go away,_ I retorted. _You're ruining it._

_My pleasure,_ he grumbled. _And until you get_ her _out of here, don't expect me to come back._ His statement worried me and I pulled away from Nico.

"What is it?" he asked.

"H-hold on," I told him, frowning in thought.

_Heka?_ I called mentally. He didn't answer, but I sensed him ignoring me, so I knew he hadn't left yet. _Listen—you don't have to reply, just listen. I'm not giving up on her. You and Nico didn't give up on me when I thought I was no good, a freak of nature, a bridge between worlds that should never have been built. Let me pass on the hope you gave me._ I waited anxiously, staring blankly past Nico, who watched me, also waiting.

_...Fine,_ Heka responded softly. _You're right, Ras. I'm being selfish._ He paused, and then grudgingly added, _Good luck._ Then I felt him disappear into a corner of my soul to rest. I sighed in relief and relaxed.

"What happened?" Nico asked curiously.

"I... had a talk with Heka," I replied vaguely, shrugging it off. "It's nothing."

"You sure?" he prompted, slipping his fingers into my hair. I closed my eyes, already partially aroused.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I murmured, desire making my voice raw. Before he could question me further, I leaned in and captured his lips, forcing my tongue between them and running it along the roof of his mouth, which I knew turned him on. He groaned softly and pushed me back until the backs of my knees hit the bed. I pulled him around and laid him on it; he shifted with me until we both lay stretched out on the bed, never once breaking the kiss. Straddling him, I pushed his shirt up and ran my hands across his abs, making him groan again.

"So needy," he hummed through the kiss. I broke away to mouth at his neck.

"We got interrupted last time," I mumbled against his skin, checking to make sure the tent flap was closed and latched. "This time, nothing's going to stop me from making you scream my name; I don't care if the whole camp hears."

"You're evil," he said, hissing as I nibbled at the sensitive skin just below his ear.

"Maybe so," I smirked. "But if I'm evil, you're the devil himself." I bit down on his earlobe and tugged harshly, grinding my hips against his. "Tempting me like this; you should be ashamed."

"Hell no," he moaned, digging his nails into my shoulders. "Give me your best, moron; you'll tire before I do."

"Wanna bet?" I chuckled, pulling away to meet his lustful gaze.

"Why not?" he grinned. "Loser plans the wedding."

"Good lord, no," I grimaced. He gave me a look and I groaned in irritation, dropping my head to his chest for a moment. "Fine. Better call Chiron and let him know you won't be available for a while."

"Fat chance, jerk," he scoffed. "You're afraid you're going to lose."

"Like hell," I retorted, reaching between us and cupping his erection though his pants. He hissed, arching in pleasure. "I plan on winning." Shoving me, he flipped us over so he was on top.

"At least you're good at planning," he panted, stripping my jacket from me. "You'll be busy." Grinning, I flipped back on top.

"Let the competition begin," I smirked, and proceeded to kiss him breathless.


	6. Chapter 6

Planning a wedding is impossible with control of my body bouncing back and forth. And let's not even mention the skull-lycan invasion, Clarina's return, and a visit from Uncle Vinnie.

Nico and I slept off our little competition—which, to my dismay, I lost—and my internal clock woke me about half an hour before sunset. Leaning over, I kissed his cheek.

"Mm... Now that's an excellent way to wake up," he murmured, turning to me and kissing me back.

"Definitely," I chuckled, nibbling on his lip. He laughed and pushed me away gently.

"Oh stop it," he said, sitting up. I propped myself up on one elbow and looked up at him, a taunting smirk on my lips. It faded, along with all humor, as I remembered I would have to give the skull-lycan back control of my body soon. Nico glanced at me, sobering. "How long do we have?"

"About twenty-five minutes," I answered after checking my watch. "Joy." Sitting up, I pulled on my jeans and stood.

"Should I get Robertson and McHale?" he asked, tugging on his own pants and grabbing his shirt.

"I'll come with," I said, reaching for my jacket, which had changed back to the cloth-like Kevlar vest. I pulled it on and it changed to a hoodie.

"What about _her_?" Nico asked, slipping his arms through his shirt sleeves. His chest muscles rippled as he shrugged it on. "She'll have control in twenty-plus minutes."

"...Yeah," I agreed, pausing. Slowly buttoning my jeans, I thought about that. "Right. Well, you'd better hurry, then. I'll lock myself up; grab Rin and Kohn, and see if you can't get Lore, Gina, and Kyle here too. Quickly." I knelt as Nico finished buttoning his shirt. He came over, leaned down and kissed my temple, squeezing my shoulder gently.

"Be right back," he promised. He left and I clipped the handcuffs onto my wrists.

_You're downright stubborn, you are,_ the skull-lycan grumbled.

"Until I can put you in another body," I said, "I don't think I can trust you in mine." A sudden thought occurred to me and I frowned. "Say, I never did get your name."

_My name?_ she scoffed. _No one ever wants to know my name._ A hint of longing in her voice itched at me.

"I do," I insisted, resting my hands in my lap. "Tell me your name... friend."

_I'm not a friend!_ she snarled. I sensed her retreat. Sighing, I resigned myself not to knowing.

_...I don't have a name..._ Having expected her not to talk again, I blinked in surprise.

"Wha- why haven't you given yourself one?" I asked curiously. She snorted, withdrawing slightly.

_Why bother?_ she returned mournfully. _No one wants to know..._

"I do, I really do," I told her. She stayed quiet. "Tell you what; if I give you a name... will you use it?" Her shock registered so strongly I felt it as my own.

_Y-you would name me?_ she whispered. A gentle smile touched my lips and I wished I could see her face-to-face, despite knowing what she would look like.

"Of course I would," I stated matter-of-factly. "Let's see... Pick a letter."

_Pic- What?_ she asked, confused.

"Pick a letter," I repeated. "Any letter."

"T; what for?" Orinda asked as she entered.

"Oh, not you," I chuckled. "I was talking to the skull-lycan." She immediately scowled.

"You wanted to talk to us?" she asked gruffly, crossing her arms as the others entered. I glanced at my watch. Nine minutes to sunset.

"Alright, I'll make this quick and to the point," I said simply. "Setne is after me. I don't know why yet, but a god talked to me in Helena and warned me. I'm willing to bet Setne put up the 'wanted posters' for me and Tin-Tin, and I'm almost positive he's behind the skull-lycan taking over my body."

"So w-" Kohn began.

"Hold on, let me finish," I interrupted. "I have..." a quick check of my watch "...less than seven minutes left before I give her back control. Keep the camp closed. Whatever magicians are here, don't let them leave, no matter what. If Chiron or the Kanes try to contact us, just let them know Setne is behind this and tell them we have to stay in lockdown. And all of you need to be extra careful; someone, probably Setne himself, is on his way here and he's expecting the lycan to be waiting for him. I doubt you'll get to see who it is; you'll probably only see a tall, black man—African, I think—his name is Simon. If my guess is right, he'll show up shortly after we get a call from Carter for the magicians to return."

"No one comes in, no one goes out," Nico said firmly, understanding.

"Exactly. This situation takes highest precedence," I said. "Keep a close eye on the little ones, and make sure you know where everyone—and I mean _everyone_—is at all times. Got it?"

"No worries, Porter," Kohn answered. "We'll be careful." Releasing a gentle breath of relief, I nodded.

"Good luck everyone," I said. "And God bless." Closing my eyes, I relinquished control to the creature. She took it immediately, but gave no sign that she had. Nico eyed me a moment, glanced at his watch, and looked back at me.

"He's gone now, isn't he?" he asked softly. The skull-lycan dipped my head once but remained silent, lost in thought. Sighing, Nico turned. "Come on, everyone; Erasmus gave his orders. Enova, watch him." The empousa nodded and held aside the tent flaps for everyone to leave before settling herself down beside the entrance and pinning me with an indifferent stare.

"...Z," the skull-lycan said quietly after a long moment. Confused, I thought about it, and then remembered asking her to choose a letter.

_May I ask why?_ I inquired. She shrugged, making Enova tense for a moment.

"It's the opposite of 'S'," she answered. Opposite of 'S'? One, I'd never considered that before; two, why did it matter? I refrained from asking, instead focusing on figuring out a good name that started with 'Z.' Obviously the first name that came to mind was Zia's. I immediately pushed that aside and started alphabetically. Zaire, Zama, Zen, Zeta, Zilpina, Zulia, Zynesta... Hold on; I liked that one.

_How about Zynesta?_ I asked her. She mulled over it for a while. Meanwhile, I went over the list I'd come up with and tried to picture her with each of the names. None of them really fit, though, except the one I'd already suggested.

"...Zynesta," she said aloud, tasting the name. "It's so... unique." The lack of emotion in her voice made me sigh.

_You don't like it, do you?_ I asked. _Alright, how a-_

"No," she cut me off, a gentle tenderness in her voice that intrigued me. "No... I like Zynesta." I couldn't help the joy I felt.

_Zynesta it is, then,_ I said. _Can I call you 'Nessie,' or is that just pushing it a little too far?_ Zynesta snorted in amusement. Enova narrowed her gaze at me, wary.

"Let's stick with 'Zynesta,'" she said warmly. "...You know, if anyone told me yesterday I'd be laughing with the enemy, I'd have gutted him right there... But you're so different, Erasmus... Why?"

_...I was once right where you are,_ I answered gently. _Alone, unwanted, unneeded, just another minor role that no one cared about. I thought I would always be like that. And then I met three people that changed my life for the better; Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge. They were taking the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood to make peace with the Roman demigods. That was when I realized just how real everything was, and when I understood just how different I was._

"How different?" Zynesta echoed, interested, even a touch fascinated.

_Well, at the time,_ I explained, _the only connection anyone knew about between Greek and Egyptian cultures and magic was Serapis. And, I guess, Carter's run-in with Percy. But with Serapis defeated, no one considered the possibility that there was another major link: me. I felt so out of my element just being in the Greek world; it terrified me to think I was a part of the Egyptian world as well. But I had so many friends to help me..._ I trailed off, hesitant, and then added, _I doubt you have anyone, do you?_

"...My batch-mates are dead," she confirmed, her voice soft. "One died before fully awakening, and you killed the other." I winced, remembering how I'd killed so many empousai before freeing Clarina and the others.

_I'm so sorry,_ I said. _I wish there had been another way..._

"No, it's not your fault," Zynesta said quickly. "Like I said, we were raised on hated against you; the only reason I trust you so much is be-" She cut off, as though realizing what she was saying. I felt touched.

_You trust me?_ I asked hopefully.

"That's not...! I didn't mean..." she stammered. "I trust you more than I do other humans, regardless of culture, that's all." She huffed, but I saw through her chipped façade and felt peaceful happiness settle over me.

_I understand,_ I said, and settled down in a corner of my mind to wait.

A few minutes later, my stomach growled, and right on cue, Nico entered the tent, bringing Enova to her feet.

"Just bringing food for him," he said reassuringly, gesturing for her to sit again. She did, staying tense in case Zynesta tried anything. Nico crouched in front of me and held out a plate. "I didn't give you anything to eat for lunch. If Erasmus is intent on keeping you alive, I may as well feed you." Zynesta eyed the empty plate skeptically and he sighed. "Touch the plate, wish for something; same goes for drink." Setting the plate down in front of me, along with a goblet, he stood and rubbed his neck.

"...You'd kill me if you could," Zynesta said quietly, peering up at him through my lashes to gauge his reaction. A light snarl curled his lips upward.

"Yeah," he answered, eying me with an icy gaze. "You took Erasmus from me."

"I gave him back," she pointed out.

"For a few hours, sure," he countered. "And then you took over again." She didn't respond. "I don't care if Erasmus relates to you; to me, you're the enemy, and I'll do anything to keep him safe from you. The sooner I get you a new body, the sooner you leave him and I can do that." Turning, he left.

_I'm sorry,_ I said. _He's just angry because you took over my body. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't be nearly so hostile, just... abrasive._ Zynesta snorted.

"You heard him, Erasmus," she muttered. "I'm the enemy. He'll never tolerate me." She hesitated, wanting to ask something but trying to refrain.

_What is it?_ I prompted. She bit my lip, frowning as she carefully chose her words.

"Why... What made you fall in love with him?" she asked cautiously. "If he's so cold and coarse, why did you fall for him in the first place?" I thought back to when we first met.

_I knew him,_ came my gentle, loving reply. _I had only met him a few hours before, but I knew him better than I think anyone did, except the gods, and not even all of them. I figured out his preference just by talking to him for a few minutes. When he realized I knew, he tried to close me off, but it's like... I don't know, pulling shades closed; if you yank them together too quickly, you expose the edges. I kept getting peeks at who he really was, and it just sort of... crept up on me._

"And him? What made him fall for you?" she pressed. I chuckled wryly.

_Well, originally it was because I looked so much like Percy, who he had a crush on. But later, he said he fell in love with the real me. Honestly, I don't know how it happened for him, but I know that he really does love me and would do anything for me, just as I would for him._

"...You two are so different," she said softly.

_We grew up differently,_ I pointed out. She tugged absently on the handcuffs, and then she reached over to brush my fingers against the plate. A steaming steak appeared on it, at least medium-well, which surprised me.

"I never liked raw meat," Zynesta said, noting my interest. "My batch-mates did; they wanted their food so fresh the heart had only just stopped beating. I could never stand the taste of fresh blood." She shuddered. "I love meat, but not raw."

_You should try bacon,_ I chuckled.

"I have," she answered, a light smile touching my lips. "It's good, but nothing beats a well-cooked steak." She had just taken a bite when we heard a commotion outside. Enova jumped to her feet and opened the tent flap to see what was going on. I could see people running past in every direction, shouting things to one another. Nico burst into the tent a moment later, Arsine on his heels. The icy rage washing off my fiancée chilled me to the bone; Arsine kept her distance and Enova scrambled out of his way.

"Can all of your kind take over bodies?" Nico demanded, his eyes flashing in anger and hatred.

"All of...?" Zynesta frowned. "My batch-mates couldn't; they were charged with protecting me so I could invade someone, but..."

"But what?" Nico snarled.

"I'm the last skull-lycan," she answered. "My batch-mates and I were the only ones created, and they were sent to the deepest levels of the Duat and the Underworld."

"Reality check, bitch," he snapped, grabbing the front of my hoodie and lifting me up. "Six more lycans just broke through the wall." Zynesta's utter shock translated to me and I felt more surprised than I should have.

_You're not alone, Zynesta!_ I said excitedly. _Setne created more skull-lycans!_

"B-but...!" she stammered. "That can't be!" Nico scowled and shoved me back down.

"You're useless. Arsine, Enova, come with me; we need everyone."

_Zynesta, let me go,_ I said quickly. _Give me control._ She clenched her eyes and jaw tightly.

"He lied to me," she said softly, my voice rasping. "Make him pay, Erasmus." Control of my body snapped back to me and I unlocked the cuffs, grabbing my sword out of the Mist and slipping on the rest of my armor before rushing out after Nico. I let the armor show as old-fashioned metal armor, but it still moved like fabric, not inhibiting my movements.

"Nico!" I shouted. He whirled, ripping his sword from its sheath and pressing the tip to my chest before I had a chance to dodge. Fury blazed in his eyes and he stepped forward to ram the blade through me. "Wait! It's me; Zynesta gave me control!" He paused and I hurried on. "Setne lied to her; she thought she really was the last. She gave me back my body to get revenge for her."

"...How do I know you're not lying to me?" he asked, leveling a narrow glare at me.

"I'm two points down on you," I said, referring to our little escapade a few days ago at Lullaby Diner. "You don't think I'm going to let you win, am I?" Hope flickered in his gaze. Reaching out, he grabbed the collar of my chest plate and yanked me forward. I stumbled and he didn't move, so I ended up taking him to the ground.

"Why do you always land on me?" he asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. I smiled and kissed him quickly.

"It's not always my fault," I answered. "Especially not when you pull me down on top of you." Relief flooded his features and he grabbed my neck, pulling me down to kiss me long and hard.

Abruptly, something pulled me off him and yanked me to my feet.

"Cut the mush, you two!" Kohn snapped. "We're in the middle of a war!" He paused, eying me cautiously, his hand in his sword.

"It's me, Robertson," I said firmly, swatting his hand away. "Zynesta's pissed at Setne; she's an ally. For now."

"Great," he muttered, turning away. "It's got a name, too."

_See what I mean?_ Zynesta told me, agitated and upset.

"Ignore him," I said, glaring at Kohn's back. "He's harder to get along with than Hades himself."

"I resent that," Nico said, brushing dust from his clothes. "I'm worse than my father."

"That you are, love," I chuckled, picking up his sword and handing it to him. "Come on, now, let's go beat up on some lycans. Zynesta, what've you got for me?"

_We have an exoskeleton of sorts, like your jacket-armor-thing,_ she reported. _Our arms and legs are exposed, which is why Orinda was able to wound me, and the one weak spot that kills us happens to be the one spot you could hit on my batch-mate, dead center of the chest._

"Nico, Kohn, dead center of the chest," I shouted, following them toward the pack of lycans prowling beside the gates, which were smashed and broken. "That's their weak spot, the only place they can be hurt!"

"But what about Orinda?" Kohn asked, pushing through the crowd of demigods and magicians facing off with the creatures. "She got that one's arm, remember?"

"Arms and legs are vulnerable, but they won't kill it," I answered. "Center of the chest, that's the only thing that will kill them."

"What about cutting off their heads?" Orinda asked. "That seems to do pretty well for most monsters."

_Won't work,_ Zynesta explained. _The exoskeleton covers head, neck, and body. Anything that could kill us is covered, except the one spot on the chest. Well, and the same spot in the back; that's how Nico killed me._

"Just the chest, Rin," I said, gripping my sword. "Zynesta, are you sure you're alright with us killing them?"

_You can't bring back my batch-mates, Erasmus,_ she said firmly. _These lycans... They're next generation, copies... imposters. Kill them all, and kill Setne for all I care._

"Did you really ask her name?" Nico asked.

"Yes," I returned. "Well, sort of."

"Sort of?" he snorted. "We're being attacked by her kind and you 'sort of' learned her name?"

"...More like... _Gave_ her a name," I said slowly. Nico gave me an incredulous look.

"You WHAT?" Aggravated by Nico's shout, one of the skull-lycans howled and bounded toward the line of demigods, where Orinda, Nico, Kohn, and I stood at the front. The other lycans followed, prompted by the first, all of them growling and howling like the monsters they were.

"I _gave_ her a name; she didn't have one, and I didn't want to just keep calling her 'she' all the time," I explained, jumping forward and jabbing at the chest of the first lycan. It scrambled to a stop.

_Him,_ Zynesta said. The demigods and magicians bellowed and rushed to meet the lycans. _That one's male. All of them are except the one furthest back; she's female, like me, and she's being protected, which means she can most likely invade, like me._

"Keep away from the female at the back!" I shouted. "Leave her to me!"

"Got to give us more than that, Porter!" Kohn shouted back, dodging a swipe from another lycan. "I can't come up with anything if you don't give us more info!"

"They're all males except for the one at the back," I called, grunting as I blocked an attack with my sword. "Zynesta thinks the female is just like her, able to invade a body with just one bite. But let's be on the safe side, though; don't let any of them bite you."

"Clever boy," a lycan rasped between its fangs. The others slinked back from battle, retreating. The demigods and magicians hung back, confused.

"Stay," I ordered them, taking a cautious step toward the lycan. "Do you speak for your... batch-mates?" The lycan hissed and growled.

"For now," he rumbled.

"Why not the female?" I demanded. "She's the one you're protecting, the important one. Why not let her speak for you?" The one furthest away slipped delicately between her batch-mates to stand beside the current speaking. Comparing them, I realized she was thinner and smaller than the others.

"We're not all batch-mates, smart one," she growled. "We are two batches. I lead them. But you knew that already... You've befriended my predecessor."

"Unfortunately, you're wrong," I said. "She refuses to be my friend. For the time being, she is my ally, but not my friend, as much as I'd like her to be."

_In your dreams, son of Hecate,_ Zynesta snorted.

_Good,_ Heka humphed. _There's not enough room for the both of us._

"Oh stop fighting, you two," I said in exasperation, rolling my eyes. The skull-lycans snarled and I shook my head, turning to look at Nico. "See, _this_ is what happens when you have constant voices in your head." My internal monster compass pinged sharply.

_Duck, Ras!_ Heka shouted. I obeyed, without looking, just as the lead male lycan swung at me, making everyone gasp; several people stepped forward, Nico included, of course.

"Stop that!" I scolded the lycan, gesturing for my side to stay. "I thought we were going to find a diplomatic solution to this!"

"Never!" the female screamed. "We are here to kill your precious little demigods and magicians, and take you back to our master!"

"Come on now," I said, "you're geniuses!" All six were taken aback by my remark. Well, seven, if you include Zynesta. "I mean it; seriously, you're geniuses! If you're anything like Zynesta, and I'm sure you are, you're smarter than any monster we've ever gone up against." I paused. "Well, except maybe Gaea... and Tartarus, and even Kronos. But that was them..." I gestured vaguely toward Nico "...and that's not the point anyway."

"Then get to the point, Erasmus," Kohn snapped impatiently.

"Hold on, I'm getting there," I said, satisfied that I had everyone's attention. "You're incredibly smart; smarter than this. You don't _have_ to listen to Setne; you could make your own way! Look at Lilianna, Enova, and Arsine; they were my enemies once, but look at them now!" The empousai shifted nervously, surprised by the sudden attention. "And they're not here right now, but C-"

A sudden bright flash of light near the fountains cut me off, blinding everyone and making the nearer people stumble away. I blinked away spots to see what had happened and immediately a wide grin spread across my face.

"Sorry it took so long, young master," Doris smiled.

"Seven years since we last saw you," Clarina added. "You have really grown, young master. Oh, I guess it's just 'master' now, isn't it?"

"Clarina, my dear," I said, striding toward them. "You have magnificent tim-" This time, her slap cut me off. My head snapped to the side and one side of my face stung in a perfect imprint of her hand. I held up my hand quickly to reassure the demigods that had lunged forward to help. "No, it's ok; I deserved that... Although I'd love to know why."

"Five years," Clarina said sternly. "Five years and not one Iris-message? Five years, master!"

"Ah," I said, rubbing my face. "Yeah, I guess that's a decent excuse for a good slap upside the head. Um, I don't suppose an apology would do, would it?" She raised one eyebrow skeptically and I nodded. "Thought not; I'll be working this one off for quite a while, won't I?"

"Yeah," she answered. "And you can start be explaining what the hell those are." She nodded toward the stunned skull-lycans and I jumped to introductions.

"Oh, right; as I was saying, Clarina and Doris. Uh, these are skull-lycans, a crossover breed, like me." I got a sudden thought and added, "Oh, and before you find out the hard way and freak out, I've got one invading my body." Clarina eyes snapped fire, literally, as she glared through me.

"What?" she demanded.

"I... It's a long story," I said. "First, let's focus on the invasion of the camp, yeah?"

"That, we can do," she said, gesturing to her comrades, which I now noticed were about five more empousai.

"Wait!" I called as they shot forward, hair flaming, fangs glistening, claws outstretched. "I was talking to them!" But it was too late; monster met monster with a mighty clash, and a few moments later, demigods and magicians joined in. I never thought I'd use that word: clash. Still, it fit the situation best.

"And _this_ is what happens when you leave monsters and demigods together," Nico said an annoyed look on his face as he stepped up beside me. I grimaced lightly and groaned.

"I was trying to talk them out of it..." I complained.

_Don't bother,_ Zynesta snorted.

_For once, we agree,_ Heka chimed in.

"Give up, Erasmus," Nico sighed. "They're monsters. Sure, you can convert a few. But it's their nature to hunt us. You can't change someone's nature." I started to respond, but a scream from the fray reminded me of what was happening and I knew instinctively that the lycans already had a plan for if they were attacked en mass. And it would likely end in the deaths of countless kids.

Gripping my sword, I grabbed Nico's hand and yanked him toward the battle.

"Come on!" I said. "Before anyone else gets hurt!"

We jumped right into the battle, working together better than anyone else. Seven years of battles together made us great. But at the same time, not good enough. Together we dispatched one of the lycans, and another fell under Orinda, Kohn, and Lore.

_Look out!_ Heka and Zynesta cried simultaneously. I snatched Nico's shoulder and threw him down, but didn't move quick enough myself. Blazing pain racked my entire back, most of it at the small of my back. I stumbled forward, touching my hand and knee to the ground for balance.

"Erasmus!" Nico shouted, stabbing past me at the lycan that had attack me. It yelped and scrambled back on three legs. "Erasmus, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I panted. "Got the armor, remember?" I started to stand, and pain ripped across my lower back. I stifled a cry and stumbled.

"Damn it, Erasmus," Nico grunted, catching me. "Your armor shifted; he caught you across the back!"

"Oh wonderful," I winced. "Just my luck as a demigod, right?"

"Probably," he said sarcastically. "You attract trouble more than a magnet. Wh-"

"Wait, sh," I said, panting softly.

"What?" he asked. I touched a finger to his mouth and looked him in the eye.

"Listen..."

"I don't hear anything," he murmured past my finger, frowning.

"Exactly," I said softly, nodding just as his gaze lit up with understanding. "The battle's stopped." We both looked up, and I let out a small breath of despair.

Everyone was captured. Clarina, Orinda, Kohn, everyone... Captured by the four remaining lycans. And in front of all of them stood a short man in his mid- to late-thirties with oil-slicked black hair and a face that looked vaguely familiar. The Godfather, I think. Uncle Vinnie. I vaguely recalled Sadie mentioning he looked like Uncle Vinnie.

"Well now," he said, a tilted smirk on his face. "It's about time I met you, Erasmus Abraham Porter." I froze. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't think straight.

"Y-you... How...?" I breathed, my grip on Nico's shoulder tightening.

"How do I know?" the man asked, the smirk widening. "Oh, I know all about you, _Ras_. About your parents, the Christian magician and the goddess of magic. About your tough life in the orphanage after your dad's death. About Marbella and your weeks on the run." With every word he said, my chest tightened and I felt more panic welling up inside. It wasn't possible; it couldn't be. "I know about your meeting with the team that brought the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. And about your meeting with the demons, the Kanes, the Brooklyn House. I know how you saved the life of that man there," he pointed at Kohn, "with a simple lie. I know about all those sweet nights with your lover." His gaze shifted to Nico and I bristled, moving between them. "Oh come on; they were really good, actually; you almost had me going gay myself."

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" I snarled, glaring at him.

"Yikes; if looks could kill," he said mockingly.

"Don't I wish it," I growled. "Who are you?"

"Ah, but see, you already know who I am," he said. "I reckon by now you've made peace with your... inner demon. Well, I guess it's really _my_ demon."

_...It's him,_ Zynesta said softly, a note of defeat and impudent rage in her voice.

"You're..." I began, the panic returning. "I do know you."

"Go ahead! Name me!" he chuckled madly. "Power in a name, remember? The Kanes would have taught you that forever ago!" I hesitated, realized just how outmatched I was. "NAME ME!" He gestured angrily and Nico shouted. I whirled just as a lycan dragged him back. It positioned its teeth just over the joint of his neck and shoulder and I knew it was the female.

"No!" I screamed. "Leave him alone!"

"Name me, Erasmus Porter," the man said again, "or your precious lover gets possessed!"

"No, stop!" I cried frantically. "Stop! You're Setne!"


End file.
